I'm having trouble getting my brightness/contrast right in Photoshop7. I can make an image in PS and it'll look fine until I put it in the galleries here or on my desktop and then it looks way too dark. I know it's not my monitor because like I said, the desktop and galleries are showing the same results...too dark. I'll grant you that I've messed around with my PS settings and it's probably my fault that they're messed up, but would like to know if there is a relatively easy way to get them right. :unsure:

Hello Tockets.. That is a big problem with many others tho.. And it is related to your ICC file.. All you want is to calibrate your monitor tho.. Calibration tools of monitor, printer, and or VGA/PCIe cards calibrations mean to match up your colours with your visual natural eye and or the real or almost real ones.. There are many tools on the market and online to do that calibration.. but here is an adivce.. They won't work better then the attached tool with adobe photoshop that many or even thousands of others don't know about it or what it does.. in fact I calibrated Kimarie's monitor yesterday.. and she became so happy.. Now please follow these easy steps.. 1- Goto > START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL 2- From CONTROL PANEL you will find an icon refered to a program installed with any adobe version called ADOVE GAMMA 3- Double Click on that program (LITTLE TOOL and or ICON) it should be blue TV or MONITOR ICON 4- Either it will shot you your monitor name on the fist window or your used profile (COLOURS PROFILE)! 5- Choose step by step wizard And follow the instructions.. the settings will varies from monitor and vedio cards to another.. which won't make any difference 6- After the Phosphors settings whcih most of the monitors will show it as: HDTV (CCIR 790) click next 7- Make sure that the single gamma box is checked on the top and the gamma settings are 2.20 for windows.. 8- Follow the instructions on that page and read it very well tho.. that is one of the most important two things in this calibration.. 9- Now hit NEXT.. and here is the trick.. click measure.. and it will popup black screen with THREE Boxes on them.. ignore the middle one.. and lets concentrate on the right and lef.. clik and the right twice and see what it does to your colours.. it should turn it into brownish baigeish colours.. and if you will click on the very left one.. 3 to four times it should turn them into blueish colours right! ** Now i want you to adjust the those two boxes till you can see the most natural grey colours your are eyes can see on the very left one.. Keep trying and take your time till you reach that point and say! oh! that looks grey to me.. 10- Hit now the middle box once to return to the wizard and hit next. Keep going next till you reach the page saying after and before.. click before and compare the after settings.. and you will see the difference :) Now next and save your profile name to anything you want.. lets say: rockets and you are done..!!! Now here is another trick.. Open your photoshop no matter what version *Click on the edit menu and goto colour settings (OR SHIFT+CTRL+K) to get you into the same colours settings menu.. *From the work Spaces menu: Set the RGB colour representation to: (MONITOR RGB-ADOBE MONITOR PROFILE) Click ok and close your adobe program and then restart.. see now how it works.. All i can promise you if you will follow these instructions carefully and be accurate! you will be able to see every thing in any of your work or even tho others work that you won't be able to see them before that.. and the others if their monitor's ain't clibrated they won't be able to see their mistaked but will :) Smile now i hope i did help you enough with that info.. And wanna know what you ended up with.. Thanks and regards

Thanks for that detailed explanation Nattarious! I'll try this out when I can take enough time to do it right and will let you know how it works out!:biggrin:

You are very welcome rockets.. it is my pleasure to help as much as i can :) just ket me know please Thanks and much respect and regards JOE

I'm so glad I came across this post. I've had this exact problem for a long time now and couldn't figure it out. I followed these exact steps and everything is perfect. Thanks so much for sharing!

Off topic, your photography is gorgeous nattarious, beautiful work!

You are very welcome Raptura.. Hope that method helped Rockets as well tho.. hehe still waiting for her reply.. And so happy and glad that it helped you and your results are perfect now :) smiles JOE

Well I tried it and it seems to make a difference. It's kind of hard to tell though since most of my images were made in PS. I'll have to wait until I make a new one to see what happens. In any event it can't hurt and makes me feel better that hopefully what I see in PS is what should actually be appearing elsewhere. Thanks again nattarious!

Well hopefully it will solve your problem.. but no matter new or old work.. you should be able to see the right colours even tho with your older work.. Now here is the thing! 1-What kinda monitor are you using? 2-What WARM Colours it supports? The reason i ask rockets, because if it is one of those old CRT monitors in the market.. Then i will ask you to do the same calibration again but instread of windows setup.. Use the MAC Gamma setup (1.80) ;) then it will fix it for sure... Thanks and waiting for your reply JOE

Thanks Joe. I have a brand new flat screen 19 inch Dell monitor.

I always turn the Color Management Off in the Color Setting in Photoshop. Works for me.

If you will turn your colours management options.. No commercial press will be able or accept your work as in commercial field to be printed. Other wise they will ask you one of two: **Please redo your work.. and pring it to us in this format with this colour profile!! **Or will can redo it if you will get us the PSD file with all the layers and we will charge you this much!! To check this.. Try to open any picture on your MAC and or PC and print it out, now match the colours.. :) They will never be the same.. Thanks and best regards.. And regarding Rockets and your new 19" flat panel monitor.. I know the main factory where dell get their monitors(NAME/NA).. and that is why you cannot but DELL brands from any store.. You get them only online :) just do the same thing please with the MAC Gamma settings.. and it will help you for sure this time.. Thanks again and wish it will help.. NOTE: (( Kimarie's computer's monitor is calibrated to the MAC settings since it is old.. And now she is happy like Raptura (The previous) member's answer here on this thread.. :) JOE

I think it's fine without doing the MAC settings.  I just posted an image to the Poser gallery that I made since the adjustments.  I think it looks okay colorwise and thank you once more for all of your help Joe.  Btw, I did buy my Dell computer and monitor online.

Oh well.. thannks god that you are happy.. hehe And yes.. The only brand that you can buy online and not from stores and or even their main offices is DELL! i can tell you why later.. Now you are happy.. and you are most welcome dear.. any time..

JOE

i've jsut read the differnet eoppinions i work  in adobe 98 what happens if u turn color magament off :o??? Thanks in advance cheers

Quote - i've jsut read the differnet eoppinions i work  in adobe 98 what happens if u turn color magament off :o??? Thanks in advance cheers

Hello zaratus!

I think we did discussed the: (ADOBE 98)!! What do you mean by Adobe 98! You mean version 6 or 5.5 becasue both of them were released in 1997-1999?

Anyways.. I think when you will turn the colour management.. means that you have to trust your eyes with the results you will get! And i will gurantee you that you will never match it even if you were a super master or a real pro.. Try it and open a pic and or image and do what ever you want like colours separations or use the contrast/levels change them abit and print out and then post me back what is the difference between the screen and the output result :)

Just use that method i posted you earlier up there.. and from the colour management use the custom and then choose and browse for your saved ICC PROFILE!

Thanks and best wished and regards

JOE

Thanks nattarious, what i mean is the color profile adobe rgb1998 i''ve known that is a wider gamut than srgb, soo is  better for printing.... and i've always used that.. what im cocern is about changing my colors when priniting i have my icc in the same proflea dobe rg1998, to work and for my monitor..how do u work??? is this ok for you? or u really recommend that i work in colour management off  all my files? Thanks very appreciated Regards. :)

I do not recommend any pro graphic designer/photographer either on PC or MAC to work without a ICC or colours managemant!! Unless his/her work is just for fun or to post it some where online.. lets say like here for an example..

Use the method above with the adobe gamma tool... Follow the steps carefully cause they are very tricky.. And save your own ICC profile :) Use it.. When you work or print you will findout depends on your monitor and how good it is.. That you are almost getting those colours on your screen..

Me! I use my own pro and commercial profiles. Either on MAC Power G5 or My workstations.. And if you want me to send you one of my profiles to use it.. Feel free to ask me.. I won't say no.. But not my commercial..

Thanks and much regards

JOE