Color profiles

[WOTTO]

I'm new to digital phtography and I am confused about color(sRGB) & printer profiles, Does anyone know of a good resource to learn about this?
Thanks for the help

 

[mac57]

Sure, I would start with the Wikipedia, which I jokingly call "the oracle of all things worth knowing" (just a joke!). See the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_management

Then get a little more detailed with:

http://www.normankoren.com/color_management.html

There are LOTS of great links on that page that will provide you with as much detail as you may wish.

Finally, there are LOTS of good books on the topic. A particular favorite of mine is:

"Color Confidence, The Digital Photographer's Guide to Color Management" by Tim Grey. (c) 2004, ISBN 0-7821-4316-4.

 

[WOTTO]

Thanks Much

 

[MacHeadCase]

This is kinda complicated stuff but it's to ensure that what your camera sees, what your computer monitor sees (no matter the platform) and how the printer interprets the data sent to it and its output, all comes out looking the same: they all must share the same language, if you will.

 

[mac57]

It is particularly important if you are serious about photography because if you labor over a given photographic creation and then your audience doesn't see it the way you intended it to be seen, your message gets lost. So much of what a photograph conveys is in the subtle colors and shades... you can change the whole mood and meaning of a photo by getting this stuff messed up.

That is why I recommend going out and getting a roughly $100 hardware calibration package if you are serious. At least you know that YOU are seeing the right stuff as you work on your creations. As to the person viewing it... well, if they are serious, they will have done the same. For stuff you are publishing on the web, you can adjust your colors for the more or less standard web color space, sRGB, and know that most people will see the result *very nearly* like you intended!