Introducing Color Settings and basic choices

Color Settings

This page introduces Color Settings. When opening Photoshop for the first time, we are asked if we want to change 'Color Settings' immediately. Someone completely new to Photoshop won't know what they are talking about so will wisely give it a miss.

Colour management is a very important subject in maintaining quality and consistency of digital images; unfortunately, it's not for the beginner. There are a number of concepts and a good bundle of jargon which need to be understood before the colour management issue can be fully grasped and controlled. For this reason, the subject is dealt with more fully later on.

In the meantime, we need to put in certain settings to help us on the way. For the sake of peace of mind and so that you don't start losing the will to live, there won't be a mass of explanations � yet. We'll just put in suitable settings now with the minimum of fuss and their purpose will become clear in time.

For users in the U.S.A.

In most versions of Photoshop, go to Edit > Color Settings.
If you are using Photoshop CS version 1, go to Photoshop > Color Settings.
Firstly, check the Advanced Mode box to reveal more options.
Under RGB, choose Adobe RGB (1998).
The USA has some settings different from most other areas.
Under CMYK choose U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2.
Select the other settings as illustrated here.
Note how the Profile Mismatches boxes are unchecked.
Then click OK.

For users in Europe and some other areas.

In most versions of Photoshop, go to Edit > Color Settings.
If you are using Photoshop CS version 1, go to Photoshop > Color Settings.
Firstly, check the Advanced Mode box to reveal more options.
Under RGB, choose Adobe RGB (1998).
Under CMYK choose Euroscale Coated v2.
Gray and Spot are slightly different, otherwise everything is the same as above.
Select the other settings as illustrated here.
Note how the Profile Mismatches boxes are unchecked.
Then click OK.

When it comes to saving documents, at the bottom of the Save and Save As dialogue boxes is this item: -
Ensuring that Embed Color Profile: Adobe RGB (1998) is checked every time will give all images compatible colour characteristics.

The above settings are a suitable starting point and will do fine for now. For a better understanding of Color Settings, a certain amount of color management knowledge is required. This will come later.

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