Apple colorspace wonkiness

16 January 2007

When I started this job I became *that* designer who worked exclusively on macs. Not by choice, mind you, but that's what they had. It's not like I was going to complain - I have a smokin' hot G5 sitting under my desk with a couple of grumpy old monitors to match (or rather, that don't in any way, shape, or form match the coolness of brushed metal). But more important than adjusting to a couple of old monitors with ghetto refresh rates, I quickly had to get used to all the wonkiness that goes with leaving the land of the PC.

The biggest hair-puller? Yeah. That would be colorspace management.

The week I tried to figure out how to get my monitors to ...

A) match each other
B) match PCs
C) match photoshop colors
and D) match in every browser

... was the week no one wanted to have lunch with me cuz they thought I was having PMS symptoms of the decade. I would create a graphic in photoshop, save it, open it in a browser, and all the colors would change. And just when I thought I had it figured out all the colors would match except for reds. Yeah, reds. I was hmm, how shall we say? Annoyyyyyyyyed.

The funny thing about the whole problem is that none of the other designers had a clue. I got a whole bunch of, "Uhhhh, I don't know how mine is set up. I think someone else did it. Or something. It usually matches pretty close."

Let's just say that I'm anal retentive. I mean, did you know I brush my cat ever day - sometimes twice a day - to combat the hairballs I *STILL* find all over the house? I needed some answers and a long-toothed comb wasn't the one I was looking for.

I somehow pieced it all together, although trying to find any single article on the subject still mystifies even the goole-savviest designer. It's a lotta work yo! So here's my simple, sophie, 3-step solution.

  • System preferences > Displays > Color
  • Set your system color to 'sRGB IEC61966-2.1' (and do so for every monitor
  • In photoshop, Photoshop > Color Settings...
  • Set RGB to 'sRGB IEC61966-2.1'

Seriously? So easy. Easiest ever. I'll allow you all to thank with alcoholic libations later.

PS ... One more thing. Under color management policies I like to set RGB to 'convert to working RGB' as well as CHECK all the missing and mismatched profile checkboxes.

PPS ... Okay fine. I'm documenting this for the next time my computer gets wiped out and I have to figure out how I did that thing I did again. Sue me.

Comments

Does this mean my voodoo is working and you're becoming a Mac fan? ;-)

Posted by Steve on January 16, 2007 8:45 PM:

Okay, where the hell were you when I could have used this information six months ago?! I know your frustration - intimately.

Posted by Joshua on January 18, 2007 12:12 PM:

You, could, of course, just have asked me - though my response would probably have been along the lines of "erm... I dunno... mine's fine... I think someone else did it... I'unno..."
Lovely to see you back, by the way xx

Posted by wellington on January 20, 2007 11:34 AM:

Well, I'm not gonna sue you. Blogs are like one big postit note.

Posted by bl@ck coffee on January 29, 2007 11:34 AM: