Requested Correct display of photos in ProPhoto colourspace

[rhy7s]

I notice that the display of images in the ProPhoto colourspace is muted or dull, could IrfanView support ProPhoto RGB in future?

[boarder's paradise]

IV supports all iCC profiles embedded in images.

Did you enable "options >> properties >> viewing >> use embedded profiles for jpg/tif" ?

[rhy7s]

I think it is due to IrfanView not supporting the monitor profile, I'm assuming the image is being converted to SRGB rather than utilising the monitor profile for display.

[boarder's paradise]

You are right that IV doesn't support monitor profiles, but I don't think that's your problem here. But in order to help you I have to know the following things:

1) What monitor do you have? Laptop/standalone LCD? Wide-gammut monitor or "normal" one?
2) your OS?
3) your active monitor profile
4) the image's embedded profile (proPhoto, right?)
5) if you have enabled "options >> properties >> viewing >> use embedded profiles for jpg/tif"

[rhy7s]

You are right that IV doesn't support monitor profiles, but I don't think that's your problem here. But in order to help you I have to know the following things:

1) What monitor do you have? Laptop/standalone LCD? Wide-gammut monitor or "normal" one?

Normal, IBM P275 CRT

2) your OS?

XP Pro SP3

3) your active monitor profile

Generated by BasICColor Display with Spyder2, D65 target <1.0DE. Loaded with wincolor.exe /L

4) the image's embedded profile (proPhoto, right?)

ProPhoto RGB

5) if you have enabled "options >> properties >> viewing >> use embedded profiles for jpg/tif"

Yes



A 1600x1200 screenshot can be found here which compares display of a ProPhoto image in PS and IrfanView (the final image has been converted to SRGB for web display), I've added drops from the PS image to the IrfanView rendering to show the differences, most obvious in the reds and magentas.

[boarder's paradise]

OK, just a brief note, before I respond:

If you don't have a wide-gammut monitor, you know that you actually don't see a lot the colors within the proPhoto color space ?

And why do you say, you made a screenshot and then converted it to sRGB ?? When you do a screenshot, the resulting file is either untagged or sRGB, which both wouldn't need a conversion to sRGB.

[rhy7s]

OK, just a brief note, before I respond:

If you don't have a wide-gammut monitor, you know that you actually don't see a lot the colors within the proPhoto color space ?

Yes

And why do you say, you made a screenshot and then converted it to sRGB ?? When you do a screenshot, the resulting file is either untagged or sRGB, which both wouldn't need a conversion to sRGB.

Just making the point that the screenshot is SRGB and not ProPhoto RGB.

[boarder's paradise]

OK, I looked into your settings.

You are right, the differences you are seeing stem from the fact, that PS translates the proPhoto image to the monitor color space (spyder-calibrated), whereas IV just sends the RGB values directly to the graphics card (no translation).

From your OP ("muted or dull") I gathered, that you would suffer from huge discrepancies, and therefore erroneously thought you would face another problem too, but judging from your screenshot, the colours are quite similar (or are the differences on your screen stronger?)

If you want to have the same colours as in Photoshop, you need to get a fully-color-managed image viewer.

Please also post your Photoshop settings: What's your working color space? And if it's not proPhotoRGB, what action do you carry out when opening the image (in terms of color conversion) ?

PS: Why do you use proPhotoRGB actually ?

[rhy7s]

PS: Why do you use proPhotoRGB actually ?

I convert from RAW to 16-bit ProPhotoRGB TIFF, apply capture sharpening and make any adjustments in Photoshop and save as a layered PSD. Depending on the desired output device I'll convert a copy with the appropriate color profile and color depth, interpolated to the correct size (though I prefer to print at 1:1 native res) with output sharpening and in the necessary file format. The 16 bit ProPhoto RGB file is retained as my source file for any future conversions and to encompass the gamuts of anything I should encounter in future.

From your OP ("muted or dull") I gathered, that you would suffer from huge discrepancies, and therefore erroneously thought you would face another problem too, but judging from your screenshot, the colours are quite similar (or are the differences on your screen stronger?)

The difference is certainly visible, though certainly nothing as extreme as an untagged ProPhoto RGB or Adobe RGB file displayed as SRGB or vice-versa to be sure. I can't say if the difference appears stronger ay my end but I certainly find it enough to be distracting.

[boarder's paradise]

I convert from RAW to 16-bit ProPhotoRGB TIFF, apply capture sharpening [...]

okay, if you have such a professional workflow, than you obviously know what you're doing. Have you never had any issues with the out-of-Lab-colors in proPhoto ?

The 16 bit ProPhoto RGB file is retained as my source

If I were you I'd keep the raw files as well.

The difference is certainly visible, though ...

Actually I meant ... when you look at your screenshot and what's really happening on your screen: ... is that the same or are the differences on your screenshot smaller than in reality ?

Anyway, the goal is not to have any differences at all. With IV it's currently not possible (not monitor profile aware), so you'd need to get a fully-color-managed IMG viewer.