RGB question

[JacobGriz]

ok so this whole rgb has confused me to no end. Adobe RGB or sRGB? i want to print my own pics, but i also want to upload them online. Also, when using photoshop, should i change the RGB there, or change it on my monitor. When I change the RGB in photoshop, i dont see the image change what so ever. Then, when i change it on my monitor, i dont see a change either. when i load image into pse 9, it seems much more dull than when viewing in Picasa photo viewer.
So these are the questions i need answered.
why doesnt the picture color change in photoshop or on the monitor when i change rgb?
should i change rgb on monitor, in photoshop, or both?
which rgb should i use if im printing and uploading?
(p.s. the colors look the same in lightroom and picasa, but not pse 9 and picasa
-thanks
(oh and im using a laptop)

 

[Big Mike]

Your image shouldn't look any different when you change the color space in Photoshop. That's because Photoshop translates from one color space to another.
The problems occur, when you have a software that doesn't know Adobe RGB and assumes that everything is sRGB. It reads the color info as sRGB, and if it's not sRGB, you can end up with different colors than you expect.

Lightroom uses another, different color space, but you can specify the color space when you export from Lightroom...so pic the one that's appropriate for your use...which is probably sRGB.

 

[JacobGriz]

Your image shouldn't look any different when you change the color space in Photoshop. That's because Photoshop translates from one color space to another.
The problems occur, when you have a software that doesn't know Adobe RGB and assumes that everything is sRGB. It reads the color info as sRGB, and if it's not sRGB, you can end up with different colors than you expect.

Lightroom uses another, different color space, but you can specify the color space when you export from Lightroom...so pic the one that's appropriate for your use...which is probably sRGB.

okayy thanks but why does it look different in pse than picasa

 

[Big Mike]

I'd guess it's because Picasa can't read Adobe RGB, but I'm not sure.

 

[Robin Usagani]

I always thought that Adobe RGB has more colors than sRGB. Most of the conversion will be very similar that you cant tell with your eyes(if you have broad range of color on your photo). But for example if your background is a shade of purple that doesnt exist on sRGB, you will see the difference between the two.

Most photo printers only support sRGB (im not sure if there is one for adobeRGB). Your photo will always look better on adobeRGB if it is only viewed on the computer. If you print something that is in AdobeRGB, most likely it will be OK. But most of photographers change their photos to sRGB just in case it will be printed.

 

[dsp921]

why doesnt the picture color change in photoshop or on the monitor when i change rgb?

Are you shooting in aRGB? If not don't expect any change. If you shoot aRGB and switch to sRGB then you will see that the colors aRGB covers but sRGB doesn't will change. Also, your monitor may not be capable of displaying the wider gamut of aRGB.

which rgb should i use if im printing and uploading?

Check your printer to see if its gamut covers aRGB, or at least most of it. If not using aRGB won't be any benefit. If it does, shoot aRGB and convert to sRGB just for uploading to the web and use aRGB for printing.

 

[JacobGriz]

I'd guess it's because Picasa can't read Adobe RGB, but I'm not sure.

i look at them in picasa straight off the raw of my camera, what does my camera take pics in

 

[Robin Usagani]

Jacob, there is a setting on your camera to do that. Just leave it at Adobe RGB if I were you.

 

[dsp921]

Most photo printers only support sRGB (im not sure if there is one for adobeRGB). Your photo will always look better on adobeRGB if it is only viewed on the computer. If you print something that is in AdobeRGB, most likely it will be OK. But most of photographers change their photos to sRGB just in case it will be printed.

There are many photo printers that go well beyond sRGB, Epsons that use Claria (dye) and UltraChromeK3 (pigment) inks are just a few. The only reason anyone I know uses sRGB is for the web, everything thing else is aRGB or ProPhotoRGB

 

[Robin Usagani]

Wow.. Someone taught me wrong then. I thought Adobe RGB displays a lot more colors on your screen, but most of these colors cannot be printed at most printers.

 

[dsp921]

what does my camera take pics in

Whatever you set it to. If you're shooting RAW it doesn't matter, colorspace only gets tagged to RAW files, you can reassign the colorspace in your RAW converter. If you shoot jpeg then the colorspace is applied so if you shoot sRGB your stuck with it. Shoot RAW and set the colorspace to aRGB.

 

[dsp921]

Wow.. Someone taught me wrong then. I thought Adobe RGB displays a lot more colors on your screen, but most of these colors cannot be printed at most printers.

Actually, Epson's R3880 can print more colors than many monitors can display. There are a lot of variables, some monitors are wide gamut some not, different ink sets have a larger gamuts than others. So, what you see on the screen vs the print depends on your monitor, inks, paper, profiles, etc, etc. It can be hugely confusing....

 

[Robin Usagani]

Is it necessary to switch my photos to sRGB when i convert it to facebook size and 72 ppi when I upload it to facebook? Or shall I keep it at aRGB?

 

[JacobGriz]

thanks for the responses guys. i will probably be editing in lightroom 3, so should i keep my monitor and camera on adobe rgb, and lightroom on its own color setting, or switch it to adobe?

 

[JacobGriz]

now i know why the colors were different. the setting in pse 9 is argb, but i checked my camera and it was srgb. thanks again though guys, i learned a bunch through this thread.