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General discussion

Photos From Mac OSX Tiger On Windows XP

Feb 3, 2006 5:09AM PST

I have some photos that a friend gave to me on a cd in the format of tiff. These tiff files came from an OSx Computer (Mac) . When i view the photos in Photoshop CS2, Photoshop Bridge, Photoshop Image Ready , Or windows Picture Viewer . Or Iranview the colors are distorted . Does anyone know how to fix it .


Computer: HP ZD8000 1 Gig Ram , Pentium 4 3.2 HT , 256mb Ati Radeon Windows XP Media Center.
Contact me ASP By either replying to this forum , Or emailing me at mo_path2001@yahoo.com

Discussion is locked

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Sure, assuming that the photos actually are color accurate,
Feb 3, 2006 1:50PM PST

you need to color calibrate your monitor. Even Mac monitors need color calibration to insure that they are displaying the correct colors. Adobe installs a tool with Photoshop called Adobe Gamma. It's purpose is to perform rudimentary monitor color calibration. At a minimum use that. If you want to do it right, get a Monaco Optix or similar hardware device. It will accurately calibrate your monitor.

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Actually
Feb 7, 2006 2:02AM PST

No it isn't that. I tried using Adobe Gamma which comes with my Photoshop. It calibrated it and said that it was fine from the start, proving that there is a problem with bringing photos from a mac to a Pc. The Photos are correctly shown on a mac, however on a pc they are still distorted.

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You should probably get the photos printed by a local,
Feb 7, 2006 5:08AM PST

photo store. If the prints look like the Mac, then the problem is color calibration, or color workspace on the PC. If the colors are distorted, the orginal Mac needs to be calibrated.

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Seems to be more problems?
Feb 7, 2006 8:52AM PST

?than originally submitted.
I receive photos emailed from a PC to Mac daily. There is never a problem either way sending JPEGs to each platform.
Kiddpeat, his monitor seems to be the problem as you have suggested.

Bob Proffitt, last month, also suggested to install a color management program into Adobe Photoshop. PANTONE.
I cannot remember the cost of this exactly. Can you?

I did check on the management program with Adobe V6 that I have and it is Adobe.
Kiddpeat, or anyone else, Have you installed Pantone color management??

-Kevin

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Pantone Spyders run about 199. But...
Feb 7, 2006 9:17AM PST

There were some for 99 bucks. Once you have one in your office you keep one around.

Bob

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Good news from Bob Proffitt
Feb 7, 2006 10:03AM PST

Holy Mackerel Bob, that was of the fastest return post I have seen in a while. Thanks. In the mean time I am plodding along figuring on how to post back to you.
One question to you, Bob, in your estimation, how does it work exactly?
In the background? Seems to be a low price to have professional color management.
Kiddpeat mentioned monitor calibration also. Can you post again with that hardware attached to the monitor to calibrate the screen image.
As I recall, that piece of hardware is a pricey little ******.
Nice for a large commercial operation. Yet, out of my grasp for one person to purchase.

While you are at it, can you please try to explain why Rick (pudgyone) has problems saving files from a jpeg to a gif? Rick's files turn to a really grainy pice of sand. The images are really bad. Quality is definitely lost somehow.
Rick did post on this issue to Grim's original post for the Pro and Student. Still active post.
Bob, can you take a look at the threads and help Rick out?
Rick has sent me examples and I will email them to you right now. Small files and easy to view the results. Give me a minute here.
Thanks Bob,

-Kevin

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It works pretty much like you see color matchers at...
Feb 7, 2006 10:35AM PST

Paint stores like Home Depot. But the software then corrects your display and even can do the printer so you don't get slightly off colors like you see all over.

It does use a hardware sensor that you put on the display or paper and ... software.

Bob

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Good news Bob
Feb 7, 2006 11:21AM PST

Thanks. May help us all.
Pantone has been around for years with their color swatches. Their software is really a new one to me from your older post.
Thanks for updating here.

Still cannot understand why so many Mac and PC users have difficulty interpreting color files sent as a jpeg universal code.
A case in point. My wife has a wallpaper on her PC at work. The file is a jpeg that was copied from my Mac. Beautiful crystal-clear color and resolution. No color or resolution loss at all.
Why are there so many people having difficulties with this?
Maybe the way the original file is saved?

Bob, how would you save a file from a digital camera to your desktop if a person did not have a photo editing program?
I have a Canon software program that came with my Digital Elf camera package and does a pretty good job without going into my high end Photoshop.
I could crop, rotate and adjust the original file. Not a bad little program from Canon. I am sure there are other programs that come with other digital camera packages.
I am at a loss of why so many have problems?How they save it and at what resolution. Probably has to do with their settings originally.

-Kevin

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I think original file is corupt
Feb 7, 2006 12:26PM PST

I say this because my main artist sent me a business card file made especially for me last year and when reproduced through the avery business card program came out with the colors looking like they had been reversed. When I had my bro save the file again it printed perfectly. Never hurts to ask for duplicate files if color is off the first time. Always start with the most obvious first and work from there.

Send me the files Kevin and I'll be the triple check for your friend.

grim

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Corrupt Files
Feb 7, 2006 1:52PM PST

Grim, that crossed my mind also. But how could you open the original? Second file corrupted? All the time?
I really think that Rick's settings are way-off. Can you go back to read Rick's original post to you and review the posts. Perhaps you can see a pattern and problem there.
In the meantime I will send you Rick's seal image. Will certainly explain the difficulty that he is having. I sent them to Bob Proffitt also asking for his help.
Between all of us we should be able to figure it out. I want more info from Rick also as to the original size of the Jpeg image and precisely how he saved the file to a Gif and at what resolution.
Rick is probably still at work right now. I sent him email.

Chuck T. posted also with info to your original Pro and Student post. Check Chuck's post out also. More info for us

Just struck me as an obvious. All files I receive, I always do a save-as and keep the original. By doing a save-as you have also possibly corrected a corrupted file.
Brilliant deduction Dr. Wattson? Could be.

I have another one for you right now? why did my curser become a thick + sign?? Weirdness again! Got a screen shot of this. Will send it to you Grim.

-Kevin

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The short version...
Feb 7, 2006 9:33PM PST

Most PCs are not setup to do color calibration or accept tables. The masses don't care if the color is a bit off.

Bob

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I can't say that all PCs can be calibrated. However, color
Feb 7, 2006 11:11PM PST

gamut is built into Windows, and the translation of that gamut to the hardware is done. The PCs I've had were capable of being calibrated.

That said, I agree that most folks don't care about calibration. That's true whether it's a PC or a Mac.

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No, I have the Monaco/X-Rite package with the Optix hardware
Feb 7, 2006 12:12PM PST

Some of the local camera stores have student prices on the Monaco stuff, and they periodically give presentations at the college I go to. I never hear about Pantone. The other equipment mentioned a lot is Gretag Macbeth. Cost depends on how extensive you get. The Monaco/X-Rite site is here.

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Is the Gretag Macbeth equipment...
Feb 7, 2006 12:32PM PST

pantone compatible? Despite the fact that I ran a Home Theater install biz for a while I never used a spider to check screen calibrations (too expensive for the HT market since it's useless without paying for factory calibration codes!).

I imagine the alternate manufacturers are Pantone compatible (since they do make the ink) but it never hurts to ask...

grim

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Pantone compatible. I'm not sure what that means.
Feb 7, 2006 3:06PM PST

The main goal in life of Optix or Spyder is color accuracy. Pantone, if I understand correctly, defines various shades of color. While both work in the same area, Pantone colors are merely a subset of the total color gamut of a display or printing device.

Higher end photo printers do not need color management as long as they function correctly. They are delivered with profiles for ink and paper combinations. These profiles are what enable them to accurately reproduce the colors and tones in an image.

A Spider or an Optix device allow you to accurately calibrate a monitor. The goal is to allow you to see on the monitor what will emerge from the printer. You don't have to use a trial and error process to set up an image to print properly. These devices will also, sometimes check color accuracy on a print. If they are used this way, the goal is to produce accurate output on an ink/paper combination.

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Adobe InDesign, Quark, etc...
Feb 7, 2006 3:31PM PST

allow you to pick Pantone defined colors for jobs. Pantone is a major manufacturer of inks/dyes used in printing. The company has become such a standard that many of their colors are defined by name and number. You can get Pantone color samples, just like a paint sample book, that allows you to spec the same color your printer uses to actually print up your comps or product being sent to your client.

I have never used a spider other than to calibrate Kelvin temperatures on a TV set... Thus, I was wondering if color calibrators for monitors used in lay out and printing programs offered accurate calibrations to meet the pantone standards used by many professional printers since the final product often uses Pantone defined colors, inks and dyes.

grim

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Yes, I'm vaguely aware of what Pantone colors are, and
Feb 7, 2006 11:03PM PST

that they are available in Photoshop as one of the color choices. However, they are simply shades of colors albeit precise and specific ones. Thus, if the color calibration equipment enables the accurate translation, display, and printing of colors, then Pantone is included. It's simply a matter of which specific shades within the available color gamut are being rendered.

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X-Rite
Feb 7, 2006 1:05PM PST

Kiddpeat, viewed that site out. Will be on their mailing list.
PANTONE is the same sort of thing but is loaded in Photoshop I think. (Have to check on that later)
Pantone has been around for years. Check them out. Impressive with the printing and graphics industries.
Not for your average home use at all. Way too expensive.

Regardless, the pro needs some sort of color management to help them.
I do have a monitor color management that is really good. Came through with my Viewsonic Monitor. FREE!
Not the same as you and Bob are talking about. That would be the high-end and for a pro to use at his workplace.
Kiddpeat, what do you have for a monitor. High-end or what I went for because of cost at my home workplace?
I only have so much money to work with after all.

Kiddpeat, here is a good one for you?
I won $1,625 on the Super Bowl pools this past Sunday.
One at $125. One at $250 and the third at $1,250. Plus I hit a MA Lottery for another $50.
I am on a roll and my wife and I will be having dinner someplace this coming weekend.
I never should have told my wife except for the fact that I put her name on all the squares. My wife brings me luck! If I put my name on the squares?you guessed it?a LOOSER!! :

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I have a NEC Multisync FE991sb driven by an ATI 9600 AIW
Feb 7, 2006 3:09PM PST

card. The combo does a good job although getting a bit dated these days.

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Monico by X-rite
Feb 10, 2006 12:50PM PST

Kiddpeat. just received my brochure from X-rite.
Just scanned through the brochure and saw some interesting facts about Monaco:
Calibrates not only the monitor but also the scanner and printer that you are using. (Workspace).
I will have to read more.
There is also on their site a talk-back area to ask other users.
Neat! XritePhoto.com
Maybe you can add some more info about using Monaco.

-Kevin

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You can do the additional calibrations as long as the
Feb 10, 2006 2:34PM PST

package you select includes a 'target'. You can, of course, also buy the target seperately. The target is a transparency covered by color patches (squares). You put it in your scanner, and scan it. The software analyzes the scanner output for accuracy (the colors on the target are known), and builds a color profile for the scanner.

You can then print a test page using a specific ink/paper combination on your printer. The test page is scanned, and analyzed to build a color profile for the printer/ink/paper combination.

It's a nice, low cost approach to color management. It enables me to match what I see on the screen to what the printer produces.

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(NT) (NT) Cool stuff... I'll keep it in mind.
Feb 11, 2006 3:40AM PST
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It is cool and neat
Feb 11, 2006 3:17PM PST

I have to read more about it from the brochure I received from X-rite.
Rather a nice brochure by the way. Very well printed and some nice info. They mention Photoshop quite often. What else would you want?

Order a brochure or go online. (XritePhoto.com)
Very impressive.
Next step, I will go to Pantone and see what they have also.
Hard choices to come.

-Kevin

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Thanks
Feb 9, 2006 1:38AM PST

Thanks guys i really appreciate it , all of your helping me out with this. I'm Gonna try to fix using the solutions you have provided me.