1. How can I tell what Vista & Photoshop are using as a monitor profile?
I use a Huey Pro to calibrate, but I can't tell if the profile is being applied or not.
2. I set up color management preferences in CS4 as I did back when I was using Photoshop CS on an XP machine, but the operating system color management is completely different.
Do Vista's color management settings make any difference when I'm inside CS4?
The easiest way I can think of to tell if your calibration is working is to recalibrate the monitor with a piece of clear colored plastic between the screen and the calibration device. The profile generated will be wrong, but if Vista is picking up the profile it will be obvious on the monitor. You'll have to go back and recalibrate (again), but at least you'll know for certain.
I haven't used Vista but there should be a some difference. If nothing else, the monitor profile should be picked up.
Don't know about PC's, but on my Mac, there are multiple ways to get in trouble. In CS3, you can be over-riding your profiles in the first print screen that comes up, forget to change settings when you change paper, make changes to the operating system preferences, make or not make changes in the second print menu that appears, leave the print settings to print as "using any printer" vs telling it exactly which printer you are using (or maybe that is in page setup), which setting you are using in color mode from the print menu, allowing the printer to figure it out vs letting PS do it vs color sync vs no color management, and some I am sure I am missing. I figure Vista is the same way if not worse. It really takes a tutorial and written guidelines to get you through all the quirks that you should keep readily available - wish I did as I preach!. It seems like there are too many options in too many places. There should be a screen gathering ALL the possibilities from all locations (with help buttons for each).
I kills me when I have gotten a print to come out exactly as I want it and then save it and then print it again a year later and it does not come out the same because my setup is different in some way and I did not write down all the settings found in ALL the different places and file that data along with the image. And if you use many different papers and different printers, you can really start having fun.
Ideally all your monitors and printers are calibrated to the exact same thing - in practice have fun with that, too! And then over time, you have to re-calibrate all your equipment due to drift with age. Depending on the quantity of output, people say you should re-calibrate as often as once a week or month. Did I mention the cost software and hardware for doing that in a professional way?
This process is difficult for pros and amateurs alike unless you are a print expert with incredible print logic knowledge concerning all the various places and options. I have seen too many "tutorials" that give "simple" explanations, but leave out extremely important decisions that SHOULD be made. At least I am aware of the limitations in my knowledge base!
1. How can I tell what Vista & Photoshop are using as a monitor profile?
At the end of the computer bootup, I get a small window showing that my calibration (SpectraView) is being loaded, and I can see a slight change on the wallpaper I use. I even got this message with an inexpensive Spyder2Express system that I used to own. I don't know anything about your system, but if it has the word 'Pro', then you should be seeing something similar.
2. I set up color management preferences in CS4 as I did back when I was using Photoshop CS on an XP machine, but the operating system color management is completely different.
Not sure what one has to do with the other.
If you go into Edit->Color Settings in CS4 and choose 'Monitor Color' in the Settings dropdown window, then you should see your monitor calibration settings under 'Working Spaces' in the 'RGB' dropdown window.
Note that you don't want to let 'Monitor Colors' be your default setting! This is just to check if your calibration is present. Be sure to switch back to your own Custom setting after performing this check!
Do Vista's color management settings make any difference when I'm inside CS4?
Discussion
4 replies1. How can I tell what Vista & Photoshop are using as a monitor profile?
I use a Huey Pro to calibrate, but I can't tell if the profile is being applied or not.
2. I set up color management preferences in CS4 as I did back when I was using Photoshop CS on an XP machine, but the operating system color management is completely different.
Do Vista's color management settings make any difference when I'm inside CS4?
Pete D.'s still feeling a little off-color
I haven't used Vista but there should be a some difference. If nothing else, the monitor profile should be picked up.
I kills me when I have gotten a print to come out exactly as I want it and then save it and then print it again a year later and it does not come out the same because my setup is different in some way and I did not write down all the settings found in ALL the different places and file that data along with the image. And if you use many different papers and different printers, you can really start having fun.
Ideally all your monitors and printers are calibrated to the exact same thing - in practice have fun with that, too! And then over time, you have to re-calibrate all your equipment due to drift with age. Depending on the quantity of output, people say you should re-calibrate as often as once a week or month. Did I mention the cost software and hardware for doing that in a professional way?
This process is difficult for pros and amateurs alike unless you are a print expert with incredible print logic knowledge concerning all the various places and options. I have seen too many "tutorials" that give "simple" explanations, but leave out extremely important decisions that SHOULD be made. At least I am aware of the limitations in my knowledge base!
Troup
At the end of the computer bootup, I get a small window showing that my calibration (SpectraView) is being loaded, and I can see a slight change on the wallpaper I use. I even got this message with an inexpensive Spyder2Express system that I used to own. I don't know anything about your system, but if it has the word 'Pro', then you should be seeing something similar.
Not sure what one has to do with the other.
If you go into Edit->Color Settings in CS4 and choose 'Monitor Color' in the Settings dropdown window, then you should see your monitor calibration settings under 'Working Spaces' in the 'RGB' dropdown window.
Note that you don't want to let 'Monitor Colors' be your default setting! This is just to check if your calibration is present. Be sure to switch back to your own Custom setting after performing this check!
Not after you calibrate your monitor.