LM developed colors vary

[dave92029]

I'm using LR 1.41 and have recently noticed that the color and tone shown while looking at an image in LR is different than looking at the same image as a screen background, or when I post the image to my SmugMug account. In all cases I'm looking at the same image with the same computer monitor, but the image looks entirely different in each location.

My brother also uses LR and is having the same experience on his Apple system.

I'm  hesitant to rely on what I see in LR to make adjustments because the colors are darker with a yellowish tint, but when I export the same image it may look fine.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions on how to fix this problem.

Dave

[KeithR]

I'm using LR 1.41 and have recently noticed that the color and tone shown while looking at an image in LR is different than looking at the same image as a screen background, or when I post the image to my SmugMug account. In all cases I'm looking at the same image with the same computer monitor, but the image looks entirely different in each location.

My brother also uses LR and is having the same experience on his Apple system.

I'm  hesitant to rely on what I see in LR to make adjustments because the colors are darker with a yellowish tint, but when I export the same image it may look fine.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions on how to fix this problem.

Dave
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=204021\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

You don't mention if your system is calibrated or not. Also the native color space for LR is ProPhoto RGB where as the other site is probably sRGB. The differences you see could be the result of the different color spaces.

[madmanchan]

That's likely because LR is color-managed whereas the other apps (the OS, the web browser) aren't.

[The View]

Sometimes even the background/frame of the image can change your perception of the colors.

This is why I prefer the gray background view in Photoshop. And Lightroom's backgrounds are neutral, too.

I don't know smugmug, but many of these photosites have backgrounds bad enough to cause anxiety attacks.

You always see a color in relation to the surrounding colors.

[The Vulcan]

Try a colour accurate browser like Safari then it's academic which colour space you upload.

As far as I know, and I may be wrong, but Safari is the only colour accurate browser.

Good luck

[madmanchan]

Firefox 3 also supports color management.

[The Vulcan]

Firefox 3 also supports color management.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=204139\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Does the Firefox colour management need to be configured or is it automatic with FF3?

[James R]

I had the same problem with my Smugmug site.  Exchanged many emails with them over the "dull and wrong" colors I was seeing on my MBP.  The colors are only displayed properly when the gallery is viewed as a slideshow.  The responses from Smugmug seemed to point at Safari and the correction they suggested didn't make much sense.

So, I downloaded Firefox and bingo, no more color issues.  The gallery pics view the same no matter which Smugmug Gallery Style I pick.  BTW, they look like the slideshow representation in Safari, i.e, the correct colors.

I only recently switched to Mac, so I'm not a expert on their software.  However, I have moved away from many of the free stuff that comes with the Leopard OS, such as IDVD and Safari.  

jr

[rdonson]

Does the Firefox colour management need to be configured or is it automatic with FF3?
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

It needs to be configured.  Instructions [a href=\"http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-9311-9478]here.[/url]

[Steven Draper]

This may not be the complete answer but something you may wish to consider.

With Safari (3+) the browser is colour managed, so it will show aRGB, sRGB etc as intended.

However if it comes across an untagged file then it will show it using your monitor profile. There seems to be no way (as of June 2008) to default untagged files to the most likely sRGB profile on a mac system. Grrrrrrrrrr

Now most other systems, IE for example will see an untagged file and assumes that it is sRGB and presents it as so. The big problem for those who use a wide gamut monitor and safari is that the web looks really bad on them unless you switch profiles!

Now with smugmug, whom I use too, the file contains the ICC profile - just drag one of your own images off the screen. Now whether or not something funny goes on I'm not sure but do understand the issue as my images seem very slightly de-saturated on smugmug when compared to LR.

My Foliolink site certainly provides untagged images for screen rendition which caused me all sorts of fun and games when I then viewed the site on my mac - I've still got to rectify a few aspects of it!

As for LR, I'm not sure either what goes on behind the scenes! I just saved some files as dng and tiffs and both looked really different to each other in LR.

I use a mac G4 Powerbook, and calibrate my screen frequently. Safari 3+ and Tiger.

All the Best.

[James R]

It needs to be configured.  Instructions here.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=204321\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I have the plug-in, but disabled it.  It causes Firefox to work like Safari.  It put me back to having my photos with one look and then the proper look when viewed as a slide show.  I don't know why this happens, but the differences in the appearance is very pronounced.  So, I'd rather look at them as created in LR and printed.

Not sure if this is a Smugmug issue or a general browser issue.  Anybody know?

[The Vulcan]

The referred Rob Galbraith link does seem to endorse that FF3 causes color management problems and maybe needs a little more work.