Question about colors

Can anyone help me understand why the colors of an image look different if I compare the same image (JPEG, sRGB)on CS3 Bridge versus on Windows Photo Viewer versus the same image loaded up onto the web??? (Firefox and IE browsers look the same as each other)

Yes I calibrate my monitor regularly using Spyder.

It is strange and not a little annoying. Any ideas chaps/chapesses?

I'm using Vista OS.

Hmmm

Web browsers aren't color managed, so they won't 'honor' the embedded ICC profile (..although the latest version of Firefox (3) can be once you learn how to get it enabled...here's how).

I often wondered too at one point why the colours varied so much between viewers, browsers etc. John is right, IE and also MS windows file manager are not colour managed. If you save a JPEG without a profile/or without converted to rgb and view it on IE or windows file manager it will look different. I always use "convert to profile" and "Save for Web" in PS, using standard rgb.
For image viewing (other than PS, specific photo viewing software etc) I use the FastStone Image viewer, it is colour managed, and works in a simliar way to MS Windows file manager. It will display the images correctly, plus has many more functions, and it's free!.
http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

Great advice, thanks a lot folks, the issues are many of course, how's it going to look when I print it?, how's it going to look when I project it?, how's it going to look on the web?

I'll check out you links.

Bill

I like Faststone, nice, thanks again.

the issues are many of course, how's it going to look when I print it?, how's it going to look when I project it?, how's it going to look on the web?

Your prints should match what you see with your color managed apps (PS) assuming your color managed workflow throughout the capture->final printing is correct.

How others view them on the Web is another story. Until these Internet browsers incorporate color management (which is long overdue!), then sRGB color space is going to be as good as you can get for other folks to see your work as you intend.

I've found that after posting images on my website, it's worthwhile to have friends check them out with various browsers, monitors and OS's. The background colors also can also be a problem. I just try to hit a good compromise.

Cuz you're using Windoze. Get a mac

Ahh the old Mac myth again, pay twice the price and get the same number of problems! A friend just bought a Mac laptop and the disc drive failed, oops. How are you doing anyway Laurent?

Here's a link to a site where you can check to see if your browser is using color management or not. Just move the cursor over the images and click to see if the color changes.
http://www.gballard.net/psd/go_live_page_profile/embeddedJPEGprofiles.html#

Hmmmmm....in order to check if your browser is using color management, the demonstration requires a color-managed web browser like SAFARI for Windows XP Vista Professional and Mac OS X FireFox 3.

Bit of a conundrum there, no?

Check out http://www.color.org/version4html.xalter to test if your browser supports ICC profiles or not.