Changes made in Elements not showing up on other computers

[bexta]

Hi!
I am new to Photoshop Elements. I have made some wonderful alterations on some underexposed photos and they look fabulous on my newly calibrated monitor. However, when I upload the altered jpegs for online printing or copy them to disk to take to printer the changes are not apparent on their computer or prints. Help!

thanks Bexta

[TonyW]

Several things could be happening but the obvious one would be that you uploaded the originals and not the edited jpegs. If you put the ones on disk back into the computer and open them in the editor do they look like the originals or the altered ones? Elements makes it quite hard to overwrite the originals - it usually adds copy or editied to the file name and saves as a new file.

Tony

[bexta]

Hi Tony,
they were definitely the altered jpgs uploaded and on the disc.
Bex

[TonyW]

Bex: Did you look at the ones on the disk again in Editor? Put the disk in your computer and File>Open and browse to the disk and open one. If it looks like it was when you edited it and not like it looked when you took it for printing then it sounds like a colour management problem.

When you open one from disk in Editor look at the bottom left of the image, click the little black arrow and check document profile and see what it says. Like this:

1402

Should also ask which version of PSE are you using and how did you calibrate your monitor?

Tony

[bexta]

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your reply. I opened the disc in editor and it appears edited. The document profile says: sRGB IEC61966- 2.1 (8bpc)

I calibrated my monitor with a Spyder2express - it doesn't seem to have made much of a difference on the before/after calibration switch included in the software.

I am using PSE 5

thanks in anticipation, Bex

[jlwilm]

Hi Bexta, glad you made it back! :)

Have you printed the shots yourself and can you post the original/revised shot so we can have a peek at what is happening?

[TonyW]

Hmm. That's shot one of my explanations as that should be OK for outside printing. Try one more thing. One one of the images on the disk right click and select Open With and pick Windows Picture and Fax viewer and see how that looks. If that looks as though it's been edited too then I'm running out of ideas :)

Tony

[bexta]

Hi Tony,
have tried that one too...it looks edited in Windows Picture viewer too....thanks for your help anyway...looks like I shall just go quietly insane in the corner ... :D

Bex

[bexta]

Hi John,
I haven't printed it myself...I figured that that might be another mountain to climb! I shall try to post the before and after shots,
Bex

[bexta]

Hi again John,
I am uploading the original (although compressed for web) and edited - also compressed. I can see a clear difference...be interested to know if the change is obvious to someone else?

Bex

[TonyW]

They do look different but the difference is pretty subtle so an outside printer might not pick it up (and it might be doing its own colour correction which might effect the way it looked too). I did a quick edit to make it a bit better on my computer/display - not great but here's what looks a bit better at my end:

1405

Tony

[Inspeqtor]

Hi Bex,

I looked at your photos, and yes I do see a difference in them. Sorry I can't give you any help as to your problem, but I wanted you to know there is a difference in the 2 photos.

[Inspeqtor]

Tony,

Your edit does look much improved to what Bex had put online.

[bexta]

Hi and thanks,
it still not solving the problem though - although the edit looks great thanks! There is quite an obvious difference on my monitor between the two pics....so I am stumped...

[jlwilm]

Hi Bexta,

Well, maybe it doesn't solve the problem, but I think the cause is becoming clearer.

I believe the problem is one of monitor calibration - probably, among other things, that your monitor is too bright and is giving you a distorted view of the brightness of your image.

There are a number of threads in the forum dealing with monitor calibration, and if others agree, they will be along shortly with some recommendations.

My quick and dirty approach is to adjust your monitor using Adobe Gamma, which probably came with your PSE install disk and is waiting for you in Control Panel, or adjust your monitor entirely manually until what you are seeing on your monitor reflects the printed image you get back from the print shop.

I have to leave for the day, but hopefully others will be along with other recommendations. :)

[genevh]

If you've invested the money in the Spyder, use that to calibrate. Don't eyeball the calibration. And if you do have Adobe Gamma showing up under Start -> All Programs -> Start Up, delete it!! The only calibration profile you want there is the one created by the Spyder. If both are there, you're going to get some weird results. The Spyder will give you the best measure of color and color temperature, not your eyes.

I use the Spyder. One thing I have found is that it is affected by ambient light in the room. You don't want to calibrate with all the lights on! I generally calibrate mine in the evening, with the lights shut off. I notice a big difference between calibrated/non-calibrated on my monitor. But then, that could just be my monitor. Try calibrating again. Take it slow, and do your best to get those color candles all the same! :eek:

As to why your pictures aren't showing your changes, it could be because the change you did is a bit subtle as previously mentioned (yes I can see it!). Hopefully the PC where you get your prints done is calibrated. A good shop would hopefully be calibrated, but maybe not. You may want to ask them. And if they are color correcting, it could be making the difference also.

Don't give up!!! :)

[TonyW]

Gene's right - if you have a means of calibration use it but you can do a quick check here:

http://www.photofriday.com/calibrate.php

Dim the lights, put your browser in Full screen mode and you should be able to distinguish all the different shades of gray. My guess is you might have trouble at the bright end.

Tony

[jlwilm]

Sorry, missed the calibrated comment in the first post.

But, calibrated with what?