Odd colour problem in Photoshop CS2

[TehBluebear]

Hey guys, noticed a rather odd colour problem in Photoshop CS2, where the image that I'm working on is rather different to what gets saved.

Here is an image showing what I mean:

(The image in Firefox is just a normal "Save As..." .gif. Optimised just gived the same colours as a normal .gif)

Now then, I have a feeling that this could be due to my new monitor (Samsung SM2253BW), as none of the software (apart from drivers), that came with it worked on my system (MagicTune, Natural Colour). On the monitor OSD settings, the colour part of the menu is locked out, I suspect because NaturalColour/MagicTune made it obsolete. Photoshop has also shouted at me when I've started it before, about colour profiles or soemthing, but never again since.

It could be something else that is the problem, but either way, any light that can be shed on the matter would help lots!

 

[Dj_Jestar]

Use jpeg or png, gif's are pants for pics with lots of detail or a high range of colours.

 

[Haircut]

Use jpeg or png, gif's are pants for pics with lots of detail or a high range of colours.

Yep, maximum of 256 distinct colours in a GIF image so it's probably translating similar colours in the original image to be the same in the saved GIF, hence it looking flatter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF

 

[simisker]

Your PSD will have an ICC colour profile attached/embedded. Your GIF won't.

Photoshop respects colour profile information. Firefox doesn't by default [though FF3 can if the user chooses].

These are the broad reasons you're seeing such a large difference.

Read more:

http://www.viget.com/inspire/the-mysterious-save-for-web-color-shift/
http://www.usabilitypost.com/2008/07/30/photoshop-color-profiles-for-web-images/
http://www.gballard.net/psd/go_live_page_profile/embeddedJPEGprofiles.html


Also, Jestar's right - use a JPEG or PNG instead.

 

[TehBluebear]

Awesome, cheers guys!

 

[MuGeN]

I've still not fully got my mind around colour differences... for example, right now i'm using an image which when in photoshop has an outer area with the hex colour #191919, so you'd have thought it would look seamless on an html page with a background of #191919, we'll if doesn't...

what i always do is colour-pick it somehow, usually from a photoshop screen grab, and find what it needs, the one mentioned above was actually saving an outer colour of #121212 which is really weird...

anyone know why this kinda thing happens? i'm using jpgs and pngs so its not the same problem as the OP...

 

[Dj_Jestar]

or just click "web colours only" and make your compromise there.