Images too dark when saved from psd to jpg

[Camellia]

Hi

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on this problem. I process a photo in CS5 - it looks fine on the screen. I convert it to jpg - it still looks fine when viewed in photoshop. However, in windows photo viewer (and when loaded to flickr - see my flickr page for recent examples), the image is way too dark?

I'm prepared to explore all avenues. On a side note, I looked into buying calibration software from a camera retailer and was advised that unless I had a top of the line monitor, I would be wasting my money.

Thanks in advance.

R

[Colin Southern]

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on this problem. I process a photo in CS5 - it looks fine on the screen. I convert it to jpg - it still looks fine when viewed in photoshop. However, in windows photo viewer (and when loaded to flickr - see my flickr page for recent examples), the image is way too dark?

Hi Raylee,

It's a pretty common problem - approx 100% of the time it's because people are forgetting to convert the image to the sRGB colourspace before saving the image. Just click on Edit -> CONVERT to profile, and make sure that the destination colourspace is sRGB.

I looked into buying calibration software from a camera retailer and was advised that unless I had a top of the line monitor, I would be wasting my money.

Load of rubbish. The colour accuracy of most monitors is pretty good (they're basically "standardised" sRGB devices), but the biggest gains are to be made with regards to levels (black clipping point - white clipping point - brightness - gamma etc), and in that respects monitors both good and bad can be all over the place (and usually are).

[Camellia]

Thanks Colin but I don't think that has fixed my problem.



This is still too dark compared with the image when viewed in photoshop.

I'm getting really annoyed with this! Argh!

R

[MiniChris]

I've had similar problems going from a lightbox image to a PS image, but rarely have I seen one of my images so totally different when looked at on the same monitor or another monitor. Witout seeing the original file, it would be hard to make a determination as to what has caused such an anomoly....but, like I said, it has happened to me as well and I never did figure out the why of it all. Boy, I'm a lot of help. Sorry.

[Crovean]

Another thing to add on Collin's post is when you have "camera raw" open, make sure you have "sRGB" as your color space.

see my attached image; if you have "adobe RGB" as your selected color space, just click on it to change it.

[Colin Southern]

Another thing to add on Collin's post is when you have "camera raw" open, make sure you have "sRGB" as your color space.

see my attached image; if you have "adobe RGB" as your selected color space, just click on it to change it.

Hi Chriss,

Not necessarily - opening in Adobe RGB is advisable if you're doing your own printing, but ultimately it doesn't matter too much so long as one converts it back to sRGB before uploading to the internet.

[Colin Southern]

Thanks Colin but I don't think that has fixed my problem.



This is still too dark compared with the image when viewed in photoshop.

I'm getting really annoyed with this! Argh!

R

Hi Raylee,

Well I did say "approximately" 100%

Seriously though, I still think it's a profile issue. Could you post a screenshot of your colour settings? (Shift + Ctrl + K)

[Katy Noelle]

Hi Raylee,

It's a pretty common problem - approx 100% of the time it's because people are forgetting to convert the image to the sRGB colourspace before saving the image. Just click on Edit -> CONVERT to profile, and make sure that the destination colourspace is sRGB.

Ah HA! That might help!

[Camellia]

I can't guarantee that these are the settings I started with. I started fiddling when things weren't working and I found conflicting advice in 2 books on CS5 as to what is the best work space.

Thanks Colin.

R

[Colin Southern]

Hi Raylee,

Change the RGB setting from Prophoto to sRGB, and see how you go.

Here's how I have mine set ...

[Lon Howard]

There is one more thing you might try, Raylee, and that is dimming your monitor when you're doing your editing; it has certainly helped me deal with a similar problem. When your monitor is too bright during editing it gives you a false impression of what is bright enough. This can make the output display appear too dark - in my case it affected prints more than anything else.

I learned about this when I calibrated my monitor and saw that after calibration, my monitor was much dimmer. Of course even after your monitor is correctly calibrated, your images will look differently to each viewer because everyone sets up their own display differently in system preferences. But I believe this may help so give it a try if you haven't already. Happy calibrating!

[RichardsDay]

Hello Raylee -
I agree that, for images that are going on display over the internet, you should be doing your editing in the sRGB color space. This is because sRGB is standardized much more frequently than are Adobe RGB or (God forbid!) ProPhoto RGB. If you must edit in those wider spaces, and you will be uploading to another site, it is highly recommended you put your image into sRGB before you upload. Watch out for color shifts when you do that though. I find sRGB to be colorful enough and I like color! Now, if you are printing from your own printer, you may be able to get away with one of those wider spaces, maybe not.
I agree also that your image is not too dark, but your monitor is probably way to bright!! Calibration software will help you dim it down. It can also cause, along with all the rest of the minutiae we all get involved in, to spend way too much time fiddling instead of shooting.
I recommend Dan Margulis' Book "Professional Photoshop", 5th ed. It is an excellent, comprehensive but somewhat technical reference on color and tone correction. Thankfully, you can pick out just the pieces you need to solve a problem. It's good for years of learning!
RichardsDay

[Camellia]

Thanks!

I haven't done anything about calibration yet but it's on my to do list.

I'll add that book to my wish list as well.

I have just bought a printer so I will be experimenting for a while until everything falls into place.

Thanks for the info.

R

[Colin Southern]

I have just bought a printer so I will be experimenting for a while until everything falls into place.

Mauhahahahaha