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Bair Art Edition's Tutorial on:
Epson Professional Printing Workflow
Which Color Space You Should Use
This topic is one that is highly debated and rehashed. Basically, you want to use Adobe RGB (1998) as your default color settings in Photoshop.
If that simple suggestion is good enough for you, skip the reasoning behind it, and click to read how to set your color space in photoshops color settings.
Overview of Adobe Photoshop's Color Space
(the theory of icc profiles)
In digital photography, every image consists of millions of individual pixels. Each of these tiny squares are accounted for in the file information, and each is represented by many ones and zeros.
The 1's and 0's record the color of each pixel (including density), and give the pixel a numerical value for each of the three elements of the additive color scheme - RGB (Red, Green, and Blue).
In simple terms this means that each pixel is defined as this much Red, this much Green, and this much Blue. For 24-bit color (8 bits per channel) the pixel can have one of 256 shades of Red in it, one of 256 shades of Green, and one of 256 shades of Blue.
- Interestingly, that results in 16 million possible colors (256 x 256 x 256 = 16,777,216 colors) for any given pixel.
For a pixel that is pure blue, the color information would read R:0, G:0, B:255 (255 is the highest number, because the shades start with 0). This color of PINK is R:255, G:102, B: 204.
Major Problem!
Great, we all have a system for numerically representing color values. However, each camera, monitor, printer, even software program (internet browsers, photoshop, etc.) will read that information and display it differently!!
Each device takes those ones and zeros and displays them a little differently than another.
Solution!
The answer is to profile each device so that it will display correctly. We apply what are called "icc profiles" to correct for color shifts.
An ICC Profile is basically a translation code, it tells the monitor, for example, that it should display Red:134 as Red:150 because the monitor is too Cyan. Basically, a profiling system reads how the device (could be a camera or printer as well) displays color incorrectly, and decides how to display it correctly.
 Adobe RGB (1998) and sRGB IEC61966-2.1 are examples of generic ICC Profiles. They are two color spaces that interpret the shades of RGB and decide what actual colors they correspond with. As you can see from the graphic to the right, both color spaces can't reach what our eyes can detect (the visual spectrum), but Adobe RGB (1998) does afford more color.
Adobe Photoshop uses the color settings of the image to decide how this color information is interpreted. Having all your work set to Adobe 1998 is the best move.
Monitor Profiling
This is Soooooooo important! You may be using the best color space for interpreting color, but that doesn't mean your monitor is displaying it accurately.
With the correct color space, you'll get a better color gamut, but that's just as far as the file is concerned, to then get your monitor to display things as they are, requires a monitor profile.
Thankfully, Adobe Photoshop automatically uses monitor profiles. Once you have profiled your monitor using a device such as a Pantone Colorvision Spyder, or a Monaco profiler, Photoshop will find the profile in your system and automatically adjust the color display info. The end result is true color on your screen.
How to Set Adobe RGB 1998 as your Color Space
Open up the Color Settings window. Dependiing on your version of Photoshop and your system, it should be located in the edit menu or photoshop menu (OSX).
Once open, it should look like the graphic below. Set your RGB Working Space to Adobe RGB (1998). Under RGB Color Management you should set it to "Convert to Working RGB." Doing so will automatically convert every file you open to the Adobe RGB (1998) working space. If you want the working space to change, but to be asked first on every image, click "Ask When Opening" for both Missing Profiles and Profile Mismatches. Don't choose "Ask When Pasting," because it should be a given that you want all elements of a composite image to have the same colorspace.
More File Preparation:
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Also, feel free to link to this site, and use any information for personal and/or commercial use. However, any reproduction of the information in this tutorial, including electronic publication, is prohibited without proper notification and citation of this site. This includes crediting our site and a link to this page in a conspicuous position relative to the copied information.
- Stephen Bair, Utah Wedding Photographer, Utah Portrait Photography
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© 2008 Masterlab
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