Viewing jpegs in different programs

I was hoping that someone could give me a pointer or at least set my mind at ease.

Basically, I find that after preparing an image in Photoshop on a callibrated monitor, the saved jpeg looks very different when it is opened in the default Windows viewer on the same monitor.

Perhaps this is normal, or maybe I have messed up my settings somehow? Anyway, if anyone has experienced this or has any advice it would be much appreciated.

Thank you, James

I'm having the same issues James. As a Canon user I've gotten into the habit of using Canon's DPP (Digital Photo Professional) to do the edits and first checks of my RAWs. There's even a difference is different parts of DPP. When I convert from RAW to jpeg and open those in PS they look different again. Same goes for other programs on my Mac.

I've calibrated my monitor and I've also tried to adjust things in the preferences of the various programs but just can't seem to get things the same. Frustrating!

Hope someone out here has some suggestions.

Photoshop is a color managed application and respects the color calibration settings in the monitor as well as the profile in the image. I'm guessing the default windows viewer is not respecting the profile in the image and will cause the colors to look different.

This is the reason that you should typically convert your image to sRGB before putting it on the web. Most monitors are closer to sRGB than other color spaces, and since browsers typically aren't color managed, the image will show up more correct to more people.

Sounds like color management and color profiles issues to me as well. As a Mac user who used to also have daily access to Windows at work I am very aware of how different images can appear. Like many Mac users I have my system set up with the Mac recommend 1.8 gamma, while the PC world runs mostly on a gamma of 2.2. To make sure that my posted jpegs look about he way I want them to on both Macs and PCs I work in sRGB in Photoshop and i include the sRGB color profile in my posted jpegs. My Mac (and other Macs) respect the embedded profile, while PCs go default on jpegs. The only time there's a problem is if some site strips out my profile to save a few bytes and then my jpegs will look off.

Similarly, when I view an image that looks too light on my Mac in Safari but that nobody else seems to this is too bright, then I suspect a gamma mismatch. If I open such an image in Photoshop the brightness goes away as PS adjusts it to my Mac's gamma.

So, my plea to everyone who posts here is to include your color profile in your jpeg. PCs will just continue to ignore it, but those of us on Macs will be able to see your image as you intended.

Most monitors are closer to sRGB than other color spaces, and since browsers typically aren't color managed, the image will show up more correct to more people. This is the reason that you should typically convert your image to sRGB before putting it on the web.

That's correct.
To do that with the file that you want to post online (not your original 'master' file!), go to Edit->Convert to Profile and choose sRGB in the Destination window. Never use the 'Assign Profile' method.
Note that there may still be a slight difference in color because IE is not a color managed application like PS.

Careful attention to color settings will minimize this difference. For example, I shoot RAW images, then convert to a 16 bit ProPhoto RGB tiff file. I continue to work in 16 bit, ProPhoto RGB to perform all my adjustments and edits. I only convert (not assign) to sRGB if I am uploading to the web. Otherwise, the image remains in ProPhoto. Both my monitor and printer are calibrated. Occasionally I forget to convert images to sRGB that are destined for the web, and the colors are drab, image lacks contrast and has an overall dull appearance by comparison to the image after conversion to sRGB. For many images, the match is pretty close. But images with deep pure colors (birds, flowers, sunsets) can have some visible differences.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. It definately gives me an insight into what can be done to improve my colour management, as well as explains why I was seeing things the way I was. There were definately a few settings that I could change and hopefully see an improvement in the final output.

Thanks again, James

Here's some info about this issue and Firefox 3.