Color Sync

[lisaconrad]

hi everyone

i operate on a macbook pro and i shoot with a nikon d300. in my camera, there is a color option for sRGB and i can also set my monitor to sRGB but it looks like a really cool blue to me. i send my stuff to print via smugmug but all of this has me SO CONFUSED!

i've been operating without syncing my color for years but after seeing engagement photos that had been printed at a wedding i did this weekend, that wasn't how i intended them to look at all!

help anyone??

thanks!

[fx101]

Hi Lisa, your camera should be normally set for sRGB. By changing your monitor to sRGB you have changed your colour space and you now have to calibrate it in order to get correct colour rendition. If you calibrate your monitor while your default windows colour space is sRGB you will be able to ship photos for printing and have them come out EXACTLY how you have them on your monitor. There are three ways to calibrate your monitor:

1) By eye and hope that everything is OK. (You use the monitor controls for colour to get white to be white and the colours to be neutral).

2) You hire somebody to do it. Not recommended unless it's a TV because it'll run you more than #3 and you can only do it once.

3) Buy a colourimeter. The Spyder 2 is selling for $59 at Amazon. These make the whole calibration simple and once you do it you'll have a what you see is what you get scenario. Send pictures out to print after editing them or whatever you wish to do with them and if you send them to a competent print lab (anything supermarket level or above) they should come out exactly as you saw them on your monitor.

I'd recommend option three. Calibrate your monitor and set your camera to sRGB and you just have everything set to the most widely adopted colour standard on the market.

[lisaconrad]

fx101... thank you so much! you rock for the info!

[jkriminger]

fx101..you are the new may 2008 new member moderator for sure!!! I have learned so much with each of your replys to every new member question. Its almost scaryyyy. Thanks!