Should I be using sRGB or AdobeRGB? I got a new monitor and I'm having troubles.

[Chantel Allen]

My camera is set to AdobeRGB. I got a new monitor and set it to AdobeRGB to match. Then I opened some edited photos in just a basic explorer window and the red is out of control. Yet if I open the same file in Photoshop it looks fine. Do I just ignore explorer because its not a proper viewing tool like Photoshop and trust the Photoshop file is the one my clients are seeing? Or should I be shooting and editing in sRGB?

 

In addition, my sister posted some pics I took on facebook and the colors are dull, but when I looked at them on my old monitor they looked vibrant and great. And when I look on my phone they look fine too. 

 

I am worried about what my client sees at this point... I know that AdobeRGB is better for printing, but a large group of my clients mainly view their photos online. And I get my business from what others see online not in print. How do I know we are looking at close to the same thing? 

 

And I don't have a tool to calibrate my new monitor. Its straight out of the box but set to AdobeRGB. I guess I am feeling confused and lost and a little frantic as I have sessions piled up and I am afraid to edit - thinking I wont be looking at the true image.

[Chantel Allen]

Ok, I just changed my camera and monitor to sRGB. Now how do I make sure photoshop is set that way also? 

[Damien Symonds]

15 minutes ago, Chantel Allen said:

I know that AdobeRGB is better for printing

No, this is a big fat myth.

16 minutes ago, Chantel Allen said:

And I don't have a tool to calibrate my new monitor

This HAS to be your priority now.  http://www.damiensymonds.net/what2buy_cal.html

[Damien Symonds]

16 minutes ago, Chantel Allen said:

I have sessions piled up and I am afraid to edit - thinking I wont be looking at the true image.

You are right - you won't.

5 minutes ago, Chantel Allen said:

Ok, I just changed my camera and monitor to sRGB. Now how do I make sure photoshop is set that way also? 

http://www.damiensymonds.net/art_tscs000.html

[Chantel Allen]

My camera was set to AdobeRGB so when follow your instructions above in the link it says AdobeRGB. What do I do now? Thank you in advance. I am feeling overwhelmed - I have been using the same monitor for about 3 years and this new one is making me second guess all my previous work!

[Damien Symonds]

NEVER have I said to use Adobe RGB.

And no, your camera setting is completely irrelevant when you shoot raw.  You DO shoot raw, I trust?

[Chantel Allen]

8 minutes ago, Damien Symonds said:

No, this is a big fat myth.

This HAS to be your priority now.  http://www.damiensymonds.net/what2buy_cal.html

This is the monitor I bought. BenQ SW2700PT 27 inch Photographer Monitor with Adobe RGB Color Management for Graphic Design and Photo Video Editing. Do you recommend the Datacolor Spyder4Elite? Thank you for your help!

[Damien Symonds]

No, I can't in good conscience recommend an out-of-date device.  Go for the Spyder5.

[Chantel Allen]

Ok, do you think I ordered the right monitor? Now that I am reading "with Adobe RGB" I am second guessing. I am being told that I need to keep everything at sRGB.  

[Damien Symonds]

The monitor sounds fine.  It should serve you well into the future.

[Chantel Allen]

My document profile on the photos I need to edit are AdobeRGB. They look incredibly dull now that my monitor is set to sRGB. Do you suggest I just color as needed at this point? Well, actually I need to wait to get my Spyder5 and then calibrate and then edit.... yes? 

[Damien Symonds]

1 minute ago, Chantel Allen said:

My document profile on the photos I need to edit are AdobeRGB.

I know they are.  This is really really bad.

Follow the troubleshooter all the way to its conclusion.

[Chantel Allen]

Yes I'm sorry, I know YOU didn't say to set to AdobeRGB but it was set that way and now I am trying to figure out how to go backwards. The images I am working with now are shot in jpg. But I am embarrassed about that, I SHOULD be shooting in raw. I took the lazy way out last weekend. 

 

[Chantel Allen]

Following the troubleshooter but when I select: Save As, the box I have available to check is: ICC Profile: Adobe RGB (1998). I don't see the sRGB option.

[Chantel Allen]

I think I am at a standstill since the only option for saving I have is - ICC Profile: Adobe RGB (1998). I am feeling pretty low right about now considering I have been pumping out work that's not at all what I thought it was. I don't know how to move forward from here... 

 

[Damien Symonds]

9 minutes ago, Chantel Allen said:

Following the troubleshooter but when I select: Save As, the box I have available to check is: ICC Profile: Adobe RGB (1998). I don't see the sRGB option.

Can you show me a screenshot of which page in the troubleshooter you're up to?

[Chantel Allen]

[Damien Symonds]

Excellent.  Click the relevant blue button at the bottom and keep going.

[Chantel Allen]

The second portion is set correctly, but the first - I don't have that box as an option. Is it because I am opening jpgs shot as Adobe RGB? Thats what my document profile is set as...

 I am in Photoshop. I am looking at my website now and so many of my images are washed out. Looks like not enough red. They looked great on my old monitor and I don't know if my old one was set to AdobeRGB or sRGB but I'm trying not to panic. I have ordered the Spyder5 so that's on its way....

[Damien Symonds]

Darn it Chantel, just press the button and keep going.  All will be explained, I promise.

[Chantel Allen]

This looks horrible! And it did not look this way on my old monitor... And when I look at this image on my phone which is a samsung S6edge+ it is NOT washed out... In fact, everything looks way better on my phone. 

[Damien Symonds]

Calm down.  All we can do today is get your colour space right.  Your viewing problems will be solved when the Spyder arrives.  Be patient.

And for heaven's sake don't do any editing until the calibrator arrives.

[Damien Symonds]

I just went to your FB page and checked that photo for you.  It doesn't look great, but it doesn't look anywhere near as bad as your new screen is showing, I promise.

While you're waiting for your calibrator to arrive, make sure you gather some prints from your pro lab.  You'll need those to check the calibration.

[Chantel Allen]

Ok, thank you. I have prints that I printed from my lab a few weeks ago, but they were edited about a year ago. Do you want me to order prints from a more recent session/edit? Say a week or so ago? Would that be more helpful? I will have my calibrator on Wednesday. 

[Chantel Allen]

How do I move forward on your troubleshooter?