Is it possible?

[carrbowl]

Is there a simple way to list what color management should be with different things? i.e. web, print, canvas, etc. I'm sure I will get told I have to totally understand it, but can someone make it simple to begin with? Or is it a personal preference thing?

[canoflan]

Well, first I assume your monitor is calibrated.

After that, to check other color profiles (which indicate what the colors will change to when rendered in that medium), you simply need to get the ICC profiles for that medium (web images should always be saved in sRGB) and soft proof in PS and check the gamut warnings as well.

Pat

[venchka]

OK, that's out of the way.

Now, here's what I've done in the last couple weeks since I put my ancient Epson 1280 printer back in service.

1. Rounded up some photo paper laying around the house. HP and Epson brands. A friend gave me a mostly full box of Moab paper.

2. Downloaded the "correct" profile for the Epson printer from the Moab paper web page.

3. Put the photo inks in the HP printer and new ink in the Epson printer.

4. Printed some really nice B&W pictures with the HP and their photo black cartridge. Alas, the only HP paper I had was glossy. I'll get better paper in the futre becasue I really like what the HP does with black and white.

5. Started up the Epson. Loaded the correct profiles for both Epson and Moab paper. Started printing B&W and color on Epson and Moab paper. The Epson combination looked ok. The Moab combination looked like (insert any 4 letter word that comes to mind here) in color and I was really bummed out. However, the Moab paper looked great in B&W.

6. After much hair pulling and cussing and fussing I finally ditched the Moab profile in favor of the Epson profile. the color pictures looked as good or better than the B&W pictures. So good in fact, that Gandma (my wife) said that the pictures I printed of her grand babies "were beautiful." Good enough for me. I have since learned that many folks who tried the Moab profile either quit using the paper or quit using the profile.

7. Since that first weekend I have printed several more pictures with the Epson profile and Moab paper. Love it. Love it. Love it.

8. Somewhere along the line I calibrated two monitors with a Spyder 2 (Thanks Mike!) calibration thingie. I set up for Gamma 2.2 if that means anything. Personally, I can't see that it's a big deal. Like I said, I don't know nothing. But, the pictures of the kids were printed with an uncalibrated monitor. They look good. The pictures from the calibrated monitor look good too. Go figure.

9. What did I learn? This week my "post processing tweaking" has gone from too much to hardly any. My pictures look a lot better when I do almost nothing. A little contrast changing or curve moving and that's it folks. Less is more on my computer and printer.

10. I need to buy a boat load of ink and Moab entrada Rag Natural 300 paper. I actually like inkjet printed pictures. I know. Blasphemy. But it's true, hey!

If all of the above is way off topic, I was never here.

[carrbowl]

you're funny!!! But it was a little more than I needed. I think I am just over thinking the colors for printing and the web. I think that is really all I need is sRGB for the web, and RGB for print and until I get crazy enough that I want to print at home, I need to leave it at that. Sometimes ..??? If you look at my post under people, you will see the difference between the two colors...big differences as far as sRGB and RGB. Guess I need to change all my online photos to sRGB?? Needed something to do..

[venchka]

I hope I helped a little in other areas. Keep it simple!

Like I said, I was never here.

[tjones0214]

Renea, I think you've got it nailed. Any browser on the web will render at 72 dpi in the sRGB colorspace. Most consumer printers will also print in the sRGB colorspace, though they use CMYK (meaning their CMYK colors are limited to the colors in sRGB). Most shops will require sRGB as well but some (WHCC) will take Adobe RGB 1998. If you're posting to the web, it's simple--sRGB. If you printing, it gets significantly more complicated in that you need to couple your monitor calilbration (how is that going by the way) with your printer and/or paper ICC profiles. To add another layer of complexity, are you color managing in your app (Lightroom, PS) or are you letting the printer color manage? Good luck.