Images not as vibrant when uploaded

*PrimeObjectif* · 10-20-2009, 11:39 AM

Is there any reason that my images lose vibrancy and saturation when I upload them? They'll look great on my computer, and when I look at the uploaded images next to the edited files on my computer, there's a huge difference. I've uploaded a few images recently to several online hosts and I'm getting the same results each time.

Nesster · 10-20-2009, 11:50 AM

That's an unfortunate feature of net life.

Are the photos you upload automatically resized? Can you see the original size? Often, only the original is untouched by the website - the resized versions get whatever software the site uses to downsize. E.g. pbase and flicr leave the full size versions alone.

One way to 'improve' the situation - figure out the downsizing rules, and resize the image yourself. For example, flickr will create a 1024 'large' if the original is >1299 pixels in one dimension. So, to have a 'large' size available, create one that's less than 1300 in the long dimension.

atiratha · 10-20-2009, 11:51 AM

Make sure you convert or export your pics in sRGB, though most picture viewers respect the embedded ICC profile, most webs don't

Eruditass · 10-20-2009, 11:54 AM

are you using adobeRGB or prophoto RGB?

sRGB for web

legacyb4 · 10-20-2009, 11:57 AM

It also depends on the web browser you use and how those color profiles are rendered on screen.

*PrimeObjectif* · 10-20-2009, 03:35 PM

Thanks for the help, everyone. The colors look bad no matter what browser I use. I shoot in sRGB on my K20D, and often use Lightroom and Photoshop to edit my files.

The color settings that I have on CS4 right now are:
Working Spaces
RGB: sRGB IEC61996 2.1
CMYK: US Web Coated (SWOP) v2
Gray: Dot Grain 20%
Spot: Dot Grain 20%

Color Management Policies:
RGB: Preserve embedded profile
CMYK: Preserve embedded profile
Gray: Preserve embedded profile

Could this have anything to do with my issues?

*Ash* · 10-20-2009, 04:26 PM

As long as sRGB is the colour space of the saved images (and you're in RGB mode) it should be right.

Glen · 10-20-2009, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by PrimeObjectif

Is there any reason that my images lose vibrancy and saturation when I upload them? They'll look great on my computer, and when I look at the uploaded images next to the edited files on my computer, there's a huge difference. I've uploaded a few images recently to several online hosts and I'm getting the same results each time.

I've experienced a very similar problem. When I upload a photograph from Lightroom I often find it "changed" on the web site. I'm using a friends web site so I know that there are no adjustments built in as there might be with sites with specific limitations. I'm using no export changes and I do use sRGB. It seems that they are not as bright as I had seen them in Lightroom. I've just become used to exporting, checking, adjusting and then exporting again. The colours are right, but the brightness is not.

**Marc Sabatella** · 10-20-2009, 10:05 PM

Are you viewing the image using the same program before and after uploading and seeing a difference? I'm guesisng not - I'm guess you are viewing with LR prior top upload and a webbrowser after uploading. What this says is that the difference has nothing to do with uploading - it's just a difference between how LR and your web browser are displaying the image. You should see the same difference just looking at the image on your computer using both programs without uploading anything anywhere. Presumably there are coor management settings you could adjust to get them to display more similarly on your computer.

But that of course doens't solve the larger problem - there is simply never any guarantee that the program used by some random visitor to your web site is going to have the color management settings that would be needed to display color the same as it on your system. And of course, you have no way of knowing if their monitors are even calibrated. There's no way around the fact that you can't really control the colors seen by visitors to your site.

Alfisti · 10-21-2009, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by Ash

As long as sRGB is the colour space of the saved images (and you're in RGB mode) it should be right.

One of the great myths for shutterbugs. Only serious photography aps will display the entire sRGB gammut, most web browsers do not. I am assuming the OP is comparing an image in PS or an editor/viewer of some kind against a web display.

mysticcowboy · 10-23-2009, 11:08 PM

If you use a photo service, blog or CMS, your files will get run (wrung) through a conversion utility like gd or imagemagick, which will always de-saturate your images. Even resizing your photos before upload won't guarantee quality, though your chances are better.

Firefox and Explorer 8 can display jpegs with embedded profiles but neither does not do so with default settings. That has to be deliberately enabled. You have to make sure that you have embed profile checked when you save your image. Firefox and Explorer assume sRGB. Safari 4 will display profiles. However it assumes a color profile of "generic RGB" if images aren't tagged. That doesn't look the same as sRGB.

Until recently most web developers set their programs to strip color profiles because they add about 4KB per image. With a number of photos on a page, the download speed will take a noticeable hit.

Glen · 10-24-2009, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by mysticcowboy

Firefox and Explorer 8 can display jpegs with embedded profiles but neither does not do so with default settings. That has to be deliberately enabled. You have to make sure that you have embed profile checked when you save your image. Firefox and Explorer assume sRGB. Safari 4 will display profiles. However it assumes a color profile of "generic RGB" if images aren't tagged. That doesn't look the same as sRGB.

When you say to check off embed profile, do you mean in the export dialogue? I have "jpg" and "sRGB" checked off in the export dialogue but I don't see anything that says specifically embedded or embed profile.

WerTicus · 10-25-2009, 05:00 PM

Your web browser will not be showing you correctly calibrated colours unless you have turned on icc support within Firefox.

My thread about icc profiles and firefox perhaps should be stickied?

*PrimeObjectif* · 10-25-2009, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by WerTicus

Your web browser will not be showing you correctly calibrated colours unless you have turned on icc support within Firefox.

My thread about icc profiles and firefox perhaps should be stickied?

My god. What a difference. You are my hero!

Thank you, everyone for your suggestions. Once I turned on ICC support, it made my images look just as they do when I'm editing them or browsing on my computer.

*Rich_A* · 10-29-2009, 12:05 AM

Just remember that no one else will see the correct colors unless they too have Firefox's ICC support enabled. It's a much better solution to save the images in sRGB format so that they are correct in a "default" browser mode like 99% of people will have. If you're just using Firefox to preview images then ignore my comment but it sounds like you're uploading them for others to view.