How do you get photographs on your website to look great on any computer, tablet or smart phone? The easy answer is you can’t. There is no color or density standard for all devise that can access the web. In the last couple of months I have had this issue come up a couple time. I am use to preparing my photographs to go to print. So what I see on my monitor needs to look like what comes out on the press. To do this I use an on screen sensor that builds a profile of my monitor and what I am seeing. Essentially it say this is what green looks like on my monitor. The printer also has built a profile for their equipment that makes their green look just like my green. This is part of devise independent profiling that Adobe Systems brought in with Photoshop 4. So the printer’s equipment and my monitor are talking the same language when it comes to color.

Now for all of the devices that can access the Internet their initial color settings were set at the factory to who knows what to standard and all of the manufactures vary on their standards. Because none of the devices are talking the same language as far as color, a photograph on device can look completely different on another. So what impacts my work process is that I will produce a photograph that is dialed in for my calibrated and profile monitor and then I will have a client proof an image by email, CD or online. They might view it on a laptop, tablet or smart phone. All of these devise normally have the original factory settings or some my have played with them. None of these devices have been properly calibrate or profiled. So when a client views my photo they will wonder why it is to light and to yellow or something like that. If I adjust the image to look good on their smart phone or other devise then it will be off when it goes to the printer. This type of color is called device dependant color. It will only look good on that devise and not on any other device. What we want is device independent color. Devise independent color will look the same on any device that has been calibrated and profile. When working with print shops we have achieved this. When working on the web unless someone has gotten a sensor and profiled their monitor then there is no telling how the color and density will come out. Not what you want to hear when trying to sell fine colored gemstone in the Internet.

After a slow summer it has been a little busier this fall. I am just finishing up an update photo shoot for a couple of wholesale catalogs. I have also had several photo shoots for retailers, some old and some new customers, to get their advertising ready for Christmas.