sRGB different on Windows computer than Mac... wtf?

[lunar]

I'm very confused about a color management issue. It seems that my Windows computer and my Mac have different interpretations of the sRGB profile. Here's my situation:

- I created cactus-srgb.jpg (http://www.lyndonfroese.com/image_test/cactus-srgb.jpg) in Photoshop CS3 on my MacBook Pro.
- The color profile is sRGB (same as it was originally on my camera).
- It looks great in color managed applications on the Mac such as Photoshop CS3, iPhoto, and Safari.
- Looks less saturated in non-color managed applications on the Mac and Windows computer such as Firefox for Mac, Internet Explorer, and Opera for Windows. I can work around this.
- Here's the problem: It also looks less saturated in Photoshop 7 on Windows. It looks the same as it does in the non-color managed applications.

 

[Westside guy]

Is your Mac color-calibrated using an honest-to-goodness calibration tool, such as a Spyder or Huey? If not, a fair bit of this may be due to the differences in the native gamma settings between Mac (1.8) and Windows (2.2).

 

[lunar]

Hmmm... I don't have Spyder or Huey. I've only used the calibration tool built into Mac OS.

The thing is that if I create an image just using the calibrated monitor profile (Color LCD - calibrated) on the Mac and save a JPG without the profile attached, it looks the same in both the Mac Photoshop and the Windows Photoshop. It's only when the sRGB profile is thrown into the mix that there is a difference in color. Do you think better calibration will solve that? If it will, I'd be more than happy to drop some cash on Spyder or Huey.

 

[ChrisA]

I'm very confused about a color management issue. It seems that my Windows computer and my Mac have different interpretations of the sRGB profile.

You did not say how or if you calibrated the two screens. If you didn't use a colorimeter on both of them then there is the answer.

 

[Mr.Noisy]

a fair bit of this may be due to the differences in the native gamma settings between Mac (1.8) and Windows (2.2).

This is True, I use a spyder calibration kit, ive got the Native Gamma set to 2.2 and the color is bang on, using the calibrating within os leaves some colors washed out,

Invest in a kit, colorvisions spyder or pantones huey