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  • LARRY BERMAN
    3872 SAXONBURG BLVD
    CHESWICK, PA 15024

  • October 8, 2012

    ProPhoto RGB Color Space

    ProPhoto RGB is a color space that should never be used for jury images, for the web, or for getting prints made at your local big box store. For example, look at the first set of images.

    ProPhoto RGB color space on the left and sRGB on the right

    When I get images from an artist in the ProPhoto RGB color space, I have to wonder what the photographer was thinking to provide those images to the artist. And in some cases they aren’t just TIF files, the photographer actually gave the artists JPEG files in ProPhoto RGB.

    ProPhoto RGB color space on the left and sRGB on the right

    It takes someone skilled in color management, and capturing for high end print output to take advantage of the larger color gamut (contains more colors) of ProPhoto RGB, which, according to Wikipedia, contains 100% of likely occurring real world colors. Way beyond what can be viewed accurately on a monitor or for jurying. And you would need the full version of Photoshop to see the image accurately.

    thumbnails in the ZAPP profile

    Poor woodworker. Not knowing better, the ProPhoto RGB image was uploaded into his ZAPP profile.

    For images to look accurate in a jury environment, they need to be in the sRGB color space as you can see above.

    © Larry Berman