Daniella,

Are you using a hardware calibration device to make a monitor ICC profile? I use Eye-One from Gretag McBeth to generate my monitor ICC profile. That profile is loaded into Windows, so all color aware applications use that profile to render the color. I get an exact match between what my images look like in PSCS2, the Window's Viewer, or my web browser.

First, check to see what profile is being used under Windows. Right-click on any blank area of your desktop, select PROPERTIES from the drop-down list. Select the SETTINGS tab. Select ADVANCED. Now select the COLOR MANAGEMENT tab. here you will see what monitor profile is being loaded into Windows when you boot up your computer. Here is what mine looks like:

http://www.pbase.com/sandman3/image/63975876.jpg

Note that the current monitor profile is the one generated from my Eye One Display.

Next, check your settings in PhotoShop. In PSCS2, go to EDIT ----> Color Settings.

Your settings should be like mine. These are the recommended settings from Eye-One.

http://www.pbase.com/sandman3/image/63975874.jpg

Under the section titled WORKING SPACES, the first drop down box is for RGB. If you click on this tab, the drop down box will reveal if PSCS2 is recognizing your monitor profile. See mine below:

http://www.pbase.com/sandman3/image/63976751.jpg

Note that the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 IS the RGB work space, but also note that my currently loaded Windows Monitor Profile is listed 5th in the drop down box (highlighted in blue). Also note that this profile is NOT the working space ~ this simply means that PSCS2 is aware of my Windows Monitor Profile.

Also, the folks at Gretag McBeth recommend that you disable or even uninstall Adobe Gamma, as you do not want to have two conflicting color management utilities competing.

Color management is a beast to understand and I'm still learning. I have finally gotten a monitor profile that I like and get a very close match to my prints from MPIX.com ~ and this was using a monitor temperature of 5500 to give me nice skin tones and nice natural tones in landscapes.

Hope this helps.

Wishing you lots of luck in getting this straightened out. It just occurred to me that you may also need to check the color settings in ACDC. I don't use that application, so have no help to offer there. What does it do?

All the best,

jim


--
Shoot more, bitch less!
galleries at: www.pbase.com/sandman3
photography workshop schedule at:
www.pbase.com/sandman3/schedule