CS3 color help needed!

mommy-medic · Apr 24, 2012

I've used photoshop cs3 extended since it was released. I'm pretty fluent in it, at least in the parts and pieces and tools I use. My monitor is calibrated and I've never had an issue like this before. About a week ago, whenever I open any image, it looks overly vibrant and saturated, almost neon. I can copy an image off my web browser and open in photoshop and BAM them colors are crazy. I haven't made any changes (that I'm aware of). If I go up and click "view" then "proof colors" it looks normal again. However, if I click "save as" it stays 'normal' but if I "save for web and devices" it goes back to crazy colors and I have to desaturate it at least 20 points. My computer uses it's color calibration 100% of the time and I never change those settings. My photoshop is in mode>RGB color>8 bits channel (I've never messed with those either).

Here is the best I could do at a screenshot (hard to get an acurate one because taking a wonky picture of the wonkiness isn't easy as far as an acurate portrayal). (Previewing post- it looks like photoshop applied the crazy color to this entire image, so they are both over-colorized. Grrrrr!!!!)

On the left is what I see, then on the right is the "proof" colors. Why is it doing this and how do I make it stop?

help by awaagen, on Flickr

KmH · Apr 25, 2012

Are you using something like - Screen Capture and Print Screen software to make screen shots?

Go up and click on Edit > Color Settings and in the dialog box that pops up make sure it is set to

Settings: North America General Purpose 2
Working Spaces - RGB: sRGB IEC61966-2.1

mommy-medic · Apr 25, 2012

I went there, and it's set to custom, MonitorRGBSpyder3express. Its using my calibration from my Spyder from when I first installed/used it. (If I went in and changed that I forgot about it and it had been working well, I haven't made any alterations there lately and my problem is a fairly new one). I can change it back and see if that helps.

For screen captures I have just right click then copy, then in photoshop hit Cntrl V to paste on a new document. It had been working normally though. I am sure whatever is going on is something that must had inadvertently gotten altered in the settings, but I just can't find what it is.

Thank you for your help.