Colour management problems with Photoshop

[Damo77]

Is there is something I'm not getting here? Or have I explained the requirement incorrectly? Let's review.

As I understand things, when we callibrate a screen, the system is colour-corrected. Instead of its default look-up colour table, Windows substitutes a monitor-specific one created by the callibration software, which in turn is guided by the colorimeter.

At this point, most programs behave exactly as before except that Windows uses our monitor-specific look-up table to display the requested colours instead of a default generic one - i.e., the colours these programs display are now correct.

ONLY the programs that are capable of reading the monitor profile. As I said, very few are.

This is a common misunderstanding, I assure you. You see, that which we glibly call "monitor calibration" is actually two different, though consecutive, processes - calibration followed by profiling.

Calibration is the hardware part - shifting the way the monitor displays colours. Of course this is the most visible one, and yes, it affects all programs.

Then profiling is the part where the calibration device reads and records a "description" of the monitor's characteristics. This profile is saved in your system, where programs (which are capable of doing so) look for it and use it. Of course the Adobe programs are capable of this, but a lot of others aren't.

More info here: https://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/0...libration.html

What colour managed programs do ... well, dammed if I know. Sometimes they work properly, sometimes they don't. My old install of Photoshop CC 2015 was apparently OK, but after upgrading to CC 2017, it was a mile out.

I'd need to know more about this. Exactly what the difference looked like. I'm happy to pursue it with you if you like, but since you're now using CC 2017, it seems that that's what we need to concentrate on.

Ameerat's settings cure the problem. I can now edit an image in Photoshop, look at it with any other software I like, and what I see is what I get. No more guesswork!

NO. Ameerat's settings are CATASTROPHIC. I can't stress this enough. You've turned off Photoshop's colour management, and now nothing you see in Photoshop is correct. Your PS Color Settings must remain on "North America General Purpose 2" at ALL TIMES.

What's more, I can upload that image to the web or email it to my granny, and what she sees is the same as what I see, subject only to:

(a) any miscallibration of her screen. There is nothing I can do about that. I just have to hope that it isn't too far out. Thankfully, she is (of course) used to her own screen and thinks it is "normal". If I could somehow guess what is wrong with her display (too blue, bet your boots on that) and send her an image "corrected" to account for that .... well, it would come up in the right colours, and Granny - being used to her own system - would most likely think it was murky and reddish. (If she noticed the difference at all, of course.)

(b) Any changes her system introduces on a per-image basis - e.g., changes introduced by a colour-managed browser if she has one. We have no way of knowing whether she will be using colour-managed or unmanaged software. So what we need to do is provide the image with a colour profile that says "don't change anything, just show this image in the standard way you display everything else on this system, same as a non-managed viewer".

^ That is my understanding of how the system works, and as a natural consequence of that understanding, the simplest, most reliable way to work within its limitations given the aim of having pictures look as right as possible both to my imaginary granny and to people using colour-aware applications. Have I misunderstood something vital? If so, what?

How your granny, or anyone else, views your digital images is completely irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that YOU are maintaining perfection.

https://www.damiensymonds.net/2013/1...standards.html

And by "perfection" we mean that your calibrated screen (in a colour-managed program) displays images exactly the same as your pro lab prints them. Were you following my calibration instructions here? https://www.damiensymonds.net/calibration.html

For the record, I'm running twin monitors: a ridiculously expensive Dell (apparently a 3014, though for reasons best known to themselves they don't bother to write the model number anywhere visible) and my wonderful old (also ridiculously expensive back in the day when a dollar was a doillar, or possibly more) Samsung SynchMaster 214T.

The Dells have an excellent reputation. The Samsungs are dreadful, make sure that is only your second screen, where you have your panels and folders and stuff. Don't trust it for colour.

It is a Windows limitation that you can only load a single colour profile into a graphics card

Not true at all. Windows can run multiple monitor profiles. If you have this limitation, it would be because of your calibrator. You mentioned below that you have a Spyder4, but didn't mention which one - Express, Pro or Elite. The Express can only create one monitor profile, but the Pro and Elite can do multiples.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, I forgot, two more relevant pieces:
https://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/0...r-profile.html
https://www.damiensymonds.net/2011/0...ut-screen.html