Color Workspace
Hello. As I understand it, my Epson 1430 printer is sRGB only. My images viewed online are in sRGB only. Why shouldn"t I do all mt post processing in Lightroom/Photoshop in sRGB as well? I understand that AdobeRGB and ProPhoto have a wider gamut, but if my printer and monitor can't see it, why edit in it? Thank you, Gary
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#1. "RE: Color Workspace" | In response to Reply # 0
Ferguson Nikonian since 19th Aug 2004Wed 07-Jun-17 09:23 PM | edited Wed 07-Jun-17 09:24 PM by FergusonGenerally speaking you want a working environment that can preserve data, and that environment may be different from your export environment. This applies to bit depth (e.g. 16 working vs 8 bits most devices use) as well as gamut.
The rationale goes like this (this is really about photoshop not lightroom): Let's say you do two different edits, one that shifts color toward blue, then one that shifts toward yellow, somewhat cancelling out. In doing so, you might push some colors "off the edge" in a small gamut, whereas with a wider one, your final result is within the sRGB gamut.
By operating with more range (bits or colors) you keep from losing data through successive edits.
Color space within Lightroom is moot, as you can't "see" what it is doing really (nor can you change it), until you export/print/edit-in. When you export or print, choose the right width space for the destination; to edit-in, I'd use the default.
Linwood
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#3. "RE: Color Workspace" | In response to Reply # 0
esantos
Nikonian since 10th Nov 2002
Wed 07-Jun-17 10:28 PM | edited Wed 07-Jun-17 11:09 PM by esantos
Gary,
The rule of thumb is - Always edit in the largest space practical, and with the deepest color bit depth, then convert to the destination space. It isn't so much what you can and cannot see, it really boils down to artifacts. As Linwood points out editing in a narrow space creates color value clipping or reassignment, depending on the rendering intent you are using. This wrecks havoc on areas of the image where there is a continuous tone. The result is a loss of the continuity of the color (such as a blue sky or a large wall painted red) and you'll start to see a blocky appearance that some call stair stepping.
Also, as I point out in my other response on printing gamuts, the narrow gamuts of some destination spaces are nothing to worry about so long you have a good color engine doing the heavy lifting in the background. Lightroom's color engine is considered one of the industry's best.
The rule of thumb is - Always edit in the largest space practical, and with the deepest color bit depth, then convert to the destination space. It isn't so much what you can and cannot see, it really boils down to artifacts. As Linwood points out editing in a narrow space creates color value clipping or reassignment, depending on the rendering intent you are using. This wrecks havoc on areas of the image where there is a continuous tone. The result is a loss of the continuity of the color (such as a blue sky or a large wall painted red) and you'll start to see a blocky appearance that some call stair stepping.
Also, as I point out in my other response on printing gamuts, the narrow gamuts of some destination spaces are nothing to worry about so long you have a good color engine doing the heavy lifting in the background. Lightroom's color engine is considered one of the industry's best.
Ernesto Santos
esartprints.com Ernesto Santos Photography
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