2
\$\begingroup\$

I have a wide gamut monitor but I want to use it in sRGB color space only.

Case A

I calibrated it with DisplayCAL and I got 99,1% sRGB coverage.

After that I experienced some issues viewing photos with specific photo viewer applications. Colors looked so different than in Lightroom - with extra red and in high contrast.

I experience that issues with:

  • ACDSee 8.0 Quick View (Pro was just fine)
  • Fast Stone Image Viewer (no matter CMS option is activated or not)
  • Paint (of course!).

Case B

I decided to the switch monitor from AdobeRGB to sRGB profile in monitor menu. Then I recalibrated monitor that way and voala! All viewers started showing photos same way. But in that case I found that the coverage was 96%.

Questions:

  1. I want sRGB coverage of 99%. How could I achieve it and photos to look consistent over different viewers.

  2. If I stick to Case A: Could I be sure that everyone (with calibrated monitor) will see my photos as me in smart "viewers": ACDSee Pro, LightRoom?

Improve this question
\$\endgroup\$
3
  • \$\begingroup\$ "(my photos do not have embedded color profile)" probably should have been included in your question instead of held for your own answer to your own question. That materially changes the original question almost a week after you asked it. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Aug 27, 2018 at 18:29
  • \$\begingroup\$ @MichaelClark If you think that that materially changes the original question, you could ask whether color profile was embedded. I haven't stated the reverse. Assumptions are not a good practice here. \$\endgroup\$
    – JRr
    Aug 28, 2018 at 8:50
  • \$\begingroup\$ @MichaelClark I stated that I use LightRoom. Its default option is to export into sRGB color space and not to embed color profile. Do you want me to include all default options that I have not changed? \$\endgroup\$
    – JRr
    Aug 29, 2018 at 7:20

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3
\$\begingroup\$

If I stick to Case A: Could I be sure that everyone (with calibrated monitor) will see my photos as me in smart "viewers": ACDSee Pro, LightRoom?

Not if the other calibrated monitors are only 96%, or 90%, or any other portion of sRGB other than the exact same 99% of sRGB that your monitor renders. The 1% your monitor can't display may even be different from the 1% not displayable by another monitor that can display 99% of sRGB. Even if other monitors are calibrated, if they can't display a color that your monitor can, that color will not look the same on the other monitor as it looks on your monitor.

I want sRGB coverage of 99%. How could I achieve it and photos to look consistent over different viewers.

If the viewer in question does not use proper color management, you can't make the photos look consistent over different viewers. As you have already discovered, this is true even when the same monitor is used.

Information included in OP's own answer six days after asking the question without providing such information:

(my photos do not have embedded color profile)

There's the entire issue right there! If you work in Adobe RGB and don't include a color profile embedded in the images, most applications, even properly color managed ones, won't know what color space the images were produced using. Applications won't assume that every image you view was produced with the current system's choice for color space. Most applications will choose sRGB by default when an image has no color profile embedded. Particularly when you send the image to a monitor set to sRGB, you will get the expected results of viewing an image created in Adobe RGB and displayed using sRGB!

Anyone else who views the images on a system with sRGB as the default, or even using an application/viewer that assumes sRGB when there is no color profile embedded, will also likely experience the same issue you describe in your question: Oversaturated and too contrasty.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
9
  • \$\begingroup\$ Case A: Of course. Your answer is too general and does not affect the private case I have. I experienced some issues with AdobeRGB monitor being calibrated for sRGB color space, which causes not minor color difference but huge oversaturated colors and big difference in contrast. If it is hard to imagine the situation, see other monitors as "ideal" (100% coverage) and their viewers as non buggy. \$\endgroup\$
    – JRr
    Aug 21, 2018 at 14:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ Case B: It is hard to accept the fact that photos I produce will look fine on other computers but they will look bad on most viewers I have. \$\endgroup\$
    – JRr
    Aug 21, 2018 at 14:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ @joro Re: Case B. Where does the answer say that? They'll potentially look bad on any system that doesn't use proper color management. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Aug 21, 2018 at 16:19
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ @joro Re: Case A. Your question doesn't ask how to make them look the same on your monitor. It asks how to make sure they look the same on other, disparate monitors. The answer is, "You can't guarantee that it will, no matter what you do." Your 'ideal' referenced in the first comment above is a pie in the sky unrealistic hope. Most monitors will have much less than 100% sRGB coverage and many users will use non-color managed application to view photos. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Aug 21, 2018 at 16:21
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ For example, my Thinkpad laptop has something like 70% coverage of sRGB. \$\endgroup\$
    – mattdm
    Aug 22, 2018 at 14:26
0
\$\begingroup\$

Q1. The viewers where issues persist are not taking color profile of the used monitor into account.

CMS option in Fast Stone Image Viewer seems to take only the image-embedded profile into account and ignore color profile of monitor (my photos do not have embedded color profile). In this case FS viewer exports sRGB colors directly into AdobeRGB monitor and that makes oversaturated colors and big difference in contrast. I tested the same image to another PC and colors are not oversaturated, so photos seem fine. So mentioned viewers are buggy and the photos are fine.

Q2. The problem seems to be only in buggy viewers so if the photos are opened in viewer taking into consideration the color profiles, the quality will be the best possible for hardware used.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
2
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ One approach I use and recommend are monitors that have internal LUTs that can be calibrated to specific profiles like Adobe RGB or sRGB. Then, when sRGB values or untagged images presumed to be sRGB are sent to the monitor that is set up for sRGB the image will be properly shown. At least within the limits of the monitor's intrinsic gamut. \$\endgroup\$
    – doug
    Aug 27, 2018 at 6:18
  • \$\begingroup\$ @doug thanks. That could help me to get same results in all viewers on my PC (Question 1) \$\endgroup\$
    – JRr
    Aug 27, 2018 at 16:51

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.