Preparing Files for the Web

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Note

If you are creating color exclusively for the Internet, you should consider using sRGB as your working space profile within applications such as Adobe Photoshop. This will save you the step of converting the image to the sRGB working space.


The best way to prepare your files for the Web is to convert the color data from its working color space to the target color space after you've edited the image. For example, if you intend to post an image to a Web site, you would convert the image to sRGB and embed the profile in the image. This ensures that the file is in the correct color space for the medium; the profile will be used by any color-management-aware application, such as Adobe GoLive, that supports color management by recognizing and embedding profiles in images.

1.

Make sure the tulips.jpg image is still open in Photoshop.

2.

Check the information area in the lower left of the image window. It should say Adobe RGB (1998).


Figure 10.8.


3.

If the information area displays something different, such as the currently selected tool or the size of the document, click the right-facing arrow beside the information area and choose Document Profile from the drop-down menu. It will display the embedded profile for the document, which in this case is Adobe RGB (1998).

4.

From the main menu, choose Edit > Convert to Profile.

The Convert to Profile dialog box appears.


Figure 10.9.


Convert to Profile lets you convert an image from the embedded document profile space, listed in the Source Space section of the dialog box, to another profile space, listed in the Destination Space section of the dialog box. If the image doesn't have a profile, Photoshop uses the working space as the source space.

This feature is useful for converting images from one color space to another, such as separating images for press. It provides greater control over the conversion process than making a color-mode change. You can, for example, more easily change the destination space and the conversion options. In contrast, Photoshop's mode-change commands (such as Image > Mode > CMYK, or Image > Mode > RGB) use Preferences settings in the Color Settings file, so if you want to change the destination space, you have to change the Preferences settings.

The Engine, Intent, Use Black Point Compensation, and Use Dither conversion options in the Convert to Profile dialog box are the same as those in the Color Settings dialog box, which were described in detail in Chapter 5. The Flatten Image setting is used to flatten the layers of an image upon conversion, and it is active only when the image has multiple layers.

5.

Since our destination in this example is the Web, choose sRGB from the Destination Space Profile drop-down menu.


Figure 10.10.


6.

Toggle the Preview check box in the dialog box off and on to see the changes.

7.

Click OK to convert the image's profile to sRGB.


Figure 10.11.


The image is now in the sRGB working space, converted from Adobe RGB (1998). Note that the information area now displays sRGB as the embedded profile.

8.

Choose File > Save for Web.

The Save for Web dialog box appears.


Figure 10.12.


9.

From the File Format drop-down menu, choose JPEG.


Figure 10.13.


10.

When JPEG is selected as the file format, the ICC Profile check box becomes available. Select it now.


Figure 10.14.


Selecting this option instructs Photoshop to embed the current working-space profile, sRGB in this case, in the image file.

Note

Photoshop's Save and Save As dialog boxes also let you embed the working-space profile in fact, the option is selected by default.

11.

Click Save.

12.

In the Save Optimized As dialog box that appears, change the filename to Soaps_srgb.jpg, and click Save again.

13.

Close Adobe Photoshop.

Now when the image is placed in an HTML page, it will already be in the best color space for the Web: sRGB. And because it has an embedded profile, its colors can be adjusted for a particular display in the event that it is viewed by a color-management-savvy Web browser.

Sharing Color Files

Another important consideration is how to share color data with others who need to edit or produce your work. This could include a designer who is incorporating a photograph into a document or web page, or a printer who is putting a document on press. You can use color management to ensure that your color intent how you want your color data to appear is communicated effectively.

If you find yourself needing to share files with another user, a couple of methods can ensure that color data is accurately communicated, even across computer platforms. Keep in mind that the following methods work well regardless of the platform that the files are being transferred to or from.

  • To share images, artwork, or pages that need to be edited by someone else, be sure to embed the correct profile into the file. If you are first editing the data, embed the working space profile that you use, such as Adobe RGB (1998). If you're sending an image directly from a digital camera or scanner, embed the source profile for that particular device. Keep in mind that, depending on the device, the profile may be either a working space profile or a device profile (for a scanner, for example).

  • If you are sending someone a file that does not need to be edited and you know the destination device, such as a printing press, you can separate the file for that device. Many commercial printers offer color profiles for their printing processes. In addition, profiles for retail and commercial photo printers can be obtained either from the printer or from www.drycreekphoto.com. Follow the instructions in the previous exercise to convert the image to the color space of the target device and be sure to embed the device profile in the file, to ensure that anyone who receives the file will know the correct color space for the color data.

There are some fundamental differences in the way that Windows XP and Mac OS X computers display color data. Windows XP (as well as previous versions of Windows) use a gamma of 2.2 and a white point of 6500 degrees kelvin, while Mac OS uses a gamma of 1.8 and a white point of 5000 degrees kelvin. This essentially means that images displayed on a computer running Mac OS will appear to have more contrast and warmer color than when displayed on a computer running Windows XP.

Applications that support color management, such as those in the Adobe Creative Suite, will automatically handle these differences and adjust the display of the image. Applications that are not color management aware probably won't adjust for the differences, so you'll find differences in brightness and contrast. The best solution is to use color management and communicate the details to those with whom you are working.

Archiving Your Color Data

Imagine opening an image that was created 10 years ago and trying to remember details about the device it was captured with and the working space it was edited in! When you archive color data, it's also important to use color management so that it can be viewed or edited with color accuracy in the future.

The best approach to archiving your data is to embed color profiles in the files. Many cameras automatically embed a working space profile at capture, and artwork and documents created in most color management aware applications automatically save a profile with the document or illustration. In circumstances where profiles are not automatically embedded, you should take the time to embed them manually.

Color-Managed Asset Management

Many asset management and image organization applications support color management, ensuring that when the color data is viewed, it is consistent. The simplest way to verify that your application supports color management is to view its Preferences settings. In most cases, the application includes settings for display, working space, and printer profiles.

Let's check how Adobe Bridge handles color management. Bridge is a file management, organization, and workflow tool that is included with Create Suite CS2 (and individual CS2 applications).

1.

Launch Adobe Bridge, either by clicking the Bridge icon in Photoshop CS2 or by selecting it from the Start menu.

2.

From the main menu, choose Edit > Creative Suite Color Settings. The Suite Color Settings dialog box appears.


Figure 10.15.


Much like the other CS2 applications, Bridge automatically picks up the color settings that have been set in Photoshop, which ensures that previews of images and illustrations are color managed in Bridge. In this case, Bridge has automatically selected the Josh Color Workflow file we created in Chapter 5.

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    Microsoft Windows XP Color Management
    Microsoft Windows XP Color Management
    ISBN: 0321334272
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2005
    Pages: 103

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