Problem: Colors don't look same on PC.

[Call Me Rocket]

Hey there guys, I am an amateur photographer and I just happened to purchase a new macbook. Unfortunately, I have noticed that none of my photos look the same on the macbook as they did on the PC..

Is there a way to produce photos so they look the same on the mac and the PC?

I noticed that there is a color settings option in system preferences, but even when going through all 4 of the options none of them make the photos look same when placing my laptop side-by-side w/ the pc...

Also, is there some sort of a standard (if u want to call it that) for the way monitors colors are set for people using macs for photography work? As you know 90% or something of the computer market is dominated by PCs and I don't want it to look good on my mac but weird on a PC Heeeeeelp!

Thanks much :)

[scotty96LSC]

I run both PC and MAC at work with a lot of photoshop running on both. I can't get the colors to look the same. I can get the colors close but that is it. I run the the color options on both computers and really can't get it right.
But, for me, it's not as big a deal since we print cmyk and we are more concerned with the output to paper than to the web which is what you are referring to I think. Good luck.

[w_parietti22]

It might be because the MacBook has a glossy display and your PC didn't. (Do the pictures look more "contrasty" with stronger blacks?) As far as I know there's not really anything that you can do about that... :(

[MacDawg]

It has to do with the difference in the gamma settings on the PC and Mac
It is a common issue... dark on the PC and lighter on the Mac

Check out this article (http://www.cgsd.com/papers/gamma.web.html) or Google "gamma mac pc" and get more responses

Woof, Woof - Dawg http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/pawprint.gif

[RainForRent]

'tis the settings and not the operating system that is causing your disparity in colors. calibrate your screen and your colors shall be right as rain.

EDIT: Hmmm. Actually, that is a great article MacDawg linked to. Veeeery interesting.

[termina3]

It has to do with the difference in the gamma settings on the PC and Mac
It is a common issue... dark on the PC and lighter on the Mac

Check out this article (http://www.cgsd.com/papers/gamma.web.html) or Google "gamma mac pc" and get more responses

Absolutely correct, but I think that article is a bit dated… Sun computers? PC gamma of 2.5 (new is 2.2, right)? PNG not being accepted yet?

Go to System Preferences -> Displays -> Color -> Calibrate… -> Select "2.2 Television Gama"

Even better, get a calibrator. But that's pricey if you're just trying to "get close."

[nanofrog]

Colorimeter's can be had for less than $200USD.
I never thought that it was all that expensive, overall. For non photo/printing needs, perhaps.
Any thoughts or clarifications?

[orpheus1120]

I use the Spyder3elite from DataColor for calibration. There's a cheaper package (Spyder3pro) that's under $200. Get one from ebay. Same color calibrator, only difference is the calibrating software that comes with the different packages.

This should solve your problem OP.

[chrono1081]

I use an Eye One display here.

For photo editing if color is critical I would not edit on your laptop screen. Instead use extended desktop mode, put all of your tool palettes on your laptop screen and keep your photo on your main monitor. Calibrate this monitor with a colorimeter and that will solve your problem. Do all of your editing on the calibrated monitor, and calibrate once a month. (Some purists will say weekly, that is usually overkill unless you have a junk monitor).

It sucks spending a few hundred dollars on such a device but it is really worth it.