Why do images opened in photoshop look different on my two monitors?

June 3, 2004 7:30 AM

I've recently moved to a dual-monitor set up, one CRT and one LCD, and I've discovered that I have a strange problem with Photoshop. If I open photos I've shot, on the LCD, they appear brighter and oversaturated -- when I open the same photo to the CRT, the colour is darker. If I open a photo on the LCD and then move it to the CRT, the photo will contain rectangles of colour that match either the appearance on the LCD or CRT. Is this some kind of colour profile issue that I don't understand? I've installed the LCD calibration software and that's about all I can think of doing to solve the problem. Help?!

I'm imagining it's something I don't know about Photoshop, because as soon as I save these files to JPGs, if I view these JPGs from Windows, they look the same on both monitors.

posted by Big Fat Tycoon to technology (7 comments total)

Try going to View >> Proof Setup >> Monitor RGB. Then make sure View >> Proof Colors is checked.

Saving to web, I was always frustrated that the saved file never looked like what I was working on in P-shop. Proofing for Monitor RGB allowed me to edit the image in an environment where I could better evaluate the final image.
posted by Hankins at 7:40 AM on June 3, 2004

Ah, awesome. That solved it. Thanks!

You wouldn't happen to know why that strange issue with the mixed RGB rectangles happens, though, would you?
posted by Big Fat Tycoon at 8:02 AM on June 3, 2004

Also, you wouldn't happen to know if there's a way to do this "proofing" before I convert from RAW? I usually shoot all my pictures in RAW, and do colour correction things in Photoshop's RAW handling section, but it seems like I won't be able to do this, because I'll have to re-colour correct after I've turned on the soft-proof.
posted by Big Fat Tycoon at 8:12 AM on June 3, 2004

frustrated that the saved file never looked like what I was working on in P-shop

This has been driving me crazy for weeks! Why can't it just look the same in all locations? I'll try this proofing thing when I get home. Thanks!
posted by falconred at 8:48 AM on June 3, 2004

There are lots of variables at work here.
I have two identical monitors (CRT) but two different video cards (both Matrox). Everything I've tried fails to match colors/cotntrast et al. between the two monitors.
posted by Fupped Duck at 9:34 AM on June 3, 2004

"frustrated that the saved file never looked like what I was working on in P-shop"

color profiles. if you want it to look like what it would on your regular monitor outside of photoshop, turn off color profiles.

Edit>color settings>color management off

unless you need it for print work or something.
posted by Hackworth at 9:39 AM on June 3, 2004

My coworkers and I have struggled with the color variance of Photoshop's Saver for Web feature for months. Thanks all for the various solutions!
posted by lychee at 10:11 AM on June 3, 2004