Snow Leopard 1.8 –> 2.2 gamma

IC
Posted By
inferiority_complex
Oct 27, 2008
Views
571
Replies
21
Status
Closed
Not sure if this has been mentioned, but in case it hasn’t:

Apple appear to be moving away from a default 1.8 display gamma in Snow Leopard. The new default is apparently 2.2.

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B
Buko
Oct 27, 2008
Apple has been recommending 2.2 gamma for a few years now.
AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Oct 27, 2008
Good news!

I wonder if they have also fixed the rest of their faulty Color Management which assigns non-tagged images to Monitor Space instead of to sRGB?
R
Ram
Oct 27, 2008
Good grief!

Gamma 1.8 is a leftover from the old, old, old b&w LaserWriter printers and monochrome monitor days. It had absolutely nothing to do with color monitors.

As Buko said, Apple has been recommending 2.2 for years now.
AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Oct 27, 2008
As Buko said, Apple has been recommending 2.2 for years now.

I am not sure that they have.

Macs may come pre-configured with their Monitors set for 1.8 gamma; and I think that 1.8 comes up as the recommended setting if someone uses Apple’s Display/Color/Calibration tool.
R
Ram
Oct 27, 2008
Then Apple is contradicting itself, which would be nothing new.
NK
Neil_Keller
Oct 28, 2008
Even some monitor calibration software suggests that 1.8 is a proper setting for Macs! Although, other options, including 2.2 are still available options.

Neil
L
Lundberg02
Oct 28, 2008

1.8 is still good for inkjet output, I don’t give a damn what any of you say.
B
Buko
Oct 28, 2008
I say BS
NK
Neil_Keller
Oct 28, 2008
Lundberg,

And that’s why it’s still an option. Whatever works in your workflow. That said, it’s probably safest for most of the rest of us to use the general standard: 2.2.

Neil
R
Ram
Oct 28, 2008
Lundberg,

If you only use your own images and only print them yourself on an inkjet printer, you can literally use any damn gamma you choose.

If you live and work in the real world, you’re much better off with 2.2.
L
Lundberg02
Oct 29, 2008

2.2 originated in the mythical world of Mictosoft, and was only a very rough approximation of real CRT monitors which have different gammas for each gun, and at that time the monitors of the world were 95% incalibrated. In this era, where LCDs are software adjusted to BE 2.2, there is an argument for it certainly, but since the eye does not have a specific gamma and varies with coditions, I wonder if the new wide gamut LED backlit LCDs shouldn’t have serious testing to determine what the real color fidelity is under varying conditions of viewing, brightness, contrast, etc.

I like 1.8 on my LCD when printing to both copy paper and Photo Matte.
PF
Peter_Figen
Oct 29, 2008
If you’re using profiles for everything, including a monitor profile, it makes very little if any difference what the screen gamma is (within reasonable limits), certainly in the range being discussed here. For very high end critical use there are minor advantages to using something very close to the screens native gamma. Of course, if you’re not using profiles or calibrating your screen, then gamma makes a bigger difference.
L
Lundberg02
Oct 29, 2008
My scanner, my printer and my LCD are all profiled.

Even cheapo LCDs are software corrected to be native 2.2, but 1.8 and 9300 is a better match on my setup. It’s probably because i just like cooler colors.
PF
Peter_Figen
Oct 29, 2008
If you’re adjusting your colors on a 9300K monitor, you’re more likely to overcompensate making them look neutral on screen and have them print out slightly warmer than expected.
P
progress
Oct 29, 2008
LCD’s can band when shoved into 1.8, especially if they’re orientated around the sRGB space.
L
Lundberg02
Oct 29, 2008
Vaud and the Villains look good, Peter. They sound good too.

My LCD doesn’t band.
L
Lundberg02
Oct 29, 2008
sRGB is a pretty small box of crayons.
JP
jean_p
Oct 30, 2008
Peter sez

If you’re using profiles for everything, including a monitor profile, it makes very little if any difference what the screen gamma is (within reasonable limits),.

If everything is a closed loop on your system only, this is true. As soon as you start creating images for the web, the 1.8 gamma starts biting you big time.
L
Lundberg02
Oct 30, 2008
Isn’t the web just porn?
NK
Neil_Keller
Oct 30, 2008
Ah, "Avenue Q" — wonderful Broadway musical, that!

Neil

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