Indexed color / differences in dimension

Hi!
Is there anybody, who can explain to me, how and why an indexed color in PDF is generated? There is following entry in my file, that is originally saved in RGB:
15 0 obj
[/Indexed/DeviceRGB 2 18 0 R]
endobj
And why is it not possible to color manage indexed colors?
Furthermore there are differences in the dimension of objects in the PDF after the export out of InDesign. The differences are minimal, but I don`t understand, why there are any differences. My objects in InDesign are 50pt to 50pt. And in the PDF they are 50,004pt ...-what happened?
Thank your for some ideas!
Simone

with regard to color managing Indexed color - I can't see a reason why that should not be possible. At least callas software's pdfColorConvert simply does color conversions for Indexed color as well...
Whether Indexed color is used (as opposed to specifying color values directly) is up to the software writing the PDF. Most often Indexed color is found for images where only 256 or less different colors need to be addressed (like in duotone images). I have nevertheless seen use of Indexed color for grayscale (where it does not make a lot of sense as there would be max. 256 different gray values anyway, at least for 8 bit color) and even for bitmap images, and also for vector objects (where again Indexed color does not add any value). On the other hand - Indexed color does not do any harm (besides using a few unnecessary bytes).
Olaf Drümmer
callas software

Similar Messages

Eyedropper not working in index color on Mac

I recently changed from MAC 9.1 and photoshop 7 to a 24" IMAC and photoshop CS3. I have 3 gig ram -- operating system 10.4.10. I can't get the eyedropper to work in index color in CS3. I've talked with someone else who has a PC and it is working on the PC. I called Adobe and it is working on their PC's too. I went to the Apple Store and it isn't working on their MAC. So I am assuming either the eyedropper isn't working on the MAC or I don't know how to get it to work in CS3.
Can someone please help -- thanks.

Carol,
That was indeed helpful, Carol. Thank you.
I printed out your post and followed the steps you outline.
The eyedropper in the Color Table works just as expected on my computer. (See specs below)
Just to make sure, I opened the Help viewer and followed the instructions therein:
Color / Converting between color modes
Customize indexed color tables
The Color Table command lets you make changes to the color table of an indexed-color image. These customization features are particularly useful with pseudocolor imagesimages displaying variations in gray levels with color rather than shades of gray, often used in scientific and medical applications. However, customizing the color table can also produce special effects with indexed-color images that have a limited number of colors.
Note: To shift colors simply in a pseudocolor image, choose Image > Adjustments, and use the color adjustment commands in the submenu.
Edit colors and assign transparency with a color table
You can edit colors in the color table to produce special effects, or assign transparency in the image to a single color in the table.
Open the indexed-color image.
Choose Image > Mode > Color Table.
To change a single color, click the color and choose a new color in the color picker.
To change a range of colors, drag in the table to choose the range of colors you want to change. In the color picker, choose the first color you want in the range and click OK. When the color picker redisplays, choose the last color you want in the range and click OK.
The colors you selected in the Color Picker are placed in the range you selected in the Color Table dialog box.
To assign transparency to a color, select the Eyedropper tool in the Color Table dialog box, and click the color in the table or in the image. The sampled color is replaced with transparency in the image.
Click OK in the Color Table dialog box to apply the new colors to the indexed-color image.
Choose a predefined color table
Open the indexed-color image.
Do one of the following:
Choose Image > Mode > Color Table.
Choose Image > Mode > Indexed Color. In the Indexed Color dialog box, choose Custom from the Palette menu. This opens the Color Table dialog box.
In the Color Table dialog box, choose a predefined table from the Table menu.
Custom
Creates a palette you specify.
Black Body
Displays a palette based on the different colors a black body radiator emits as it is heatedfrom black to red, orange, yellow, and white.
Grayscale
Displays a palette based on 256 levels of grayfrom black to white.
Spectrum
Displays a palette based on the colors produced as white light passes through a prismfrom violet, blue, and green to yellow, orange, and red.
System (Mac OS)
Displays the standard Mac OS 256-color system palette.
System (Windows)
Displays the standard Windows 256-color system palette.
Save and load color tables
You use the Save and Load buttons in the Color Table dialog box to save your indexed color tables for use with other Adobe Photoshop images. After you load a color table into an image, the colors in the image change to reflect the color positions they reference in the new color table.
Note: You can also load saved color tables into the Swatches palette.
Since all of the above worked as expected, I would conclude that it is a bug that is not affecting PowerPC (pre-Intel) Macs. :(
Computer setup:
Dual bootable, DP MDD 1.25GHz G4 (2004), maxed out at 2GB of RAM, both Spotlight and Dashboard disabled, Photoshop primary scratch disk on dedicated 160GB internal drive, at least 100GB available on each of the four internal drives, up to 300GB on some. Counting external FW drives just over 1TB of drive space available. nVidia GeForce 4 Ti 128MB graphics display card (about to be upgraded in the next couple of hours). Processor napping enabled through CHUD 3.5.2.

Converting from indexed color to grayscale no longer works in CS4

I have a number of files to convert from indexed colors to grayscale. Did some but clicked "don't show me again" box on the Discard Colors warning. Now I can't make the conversion. Everything looks fine, but when I close file, then reopen, it's reverted to indexed colors - restarting Photoshop or the computer doesn't help.
I'd appreciate any help....Thanks, Grant

Grant,
All your contact information is posted to the web. These forums are crawled by bots harvesting info.
I don't think you want additional junk mail, unsolicited phone call scams, and possible attempts to crack your website, do you?
People here recommend not to post contact info. Perhaps a forum moderator can remove your personal info, but you might be able to edit your post yourself.
GIF only uses indexed color mode, So if you want your files to NOT be in the Indexed Color mode you need to save them as another file format like .png or .jpg

How to keep color when switching from RGB to Indexed Color Mode?

I'm working in Photoshop CS6
In Photoshop I've designed a custom crop screen for use in Magic Lantern (a program that runs with Canon cameras) The project is in 8bit RGB and to be able to use it (in Magic Lantern) I have to change it to Indexed Color (using a an .act file provided fom them) Then I have to save it as a .bmp. When I chnage from RGB to Indexed color (loading the .act file) the color in my Photoshop project turns to grey.
I haven't worked with Indexed colors or changing the color mode etc.
My question is... how can I keep the color (or a color similar, compatible color) to what I created in RGB when I convert it to Indexed Color using the .act file?
Any suggestions?
Thanks

Attached are 4 jpgs:
- The Crop Screen as it appears in the PSD file (RGB color/8-bit)
- The Index Color .act file that I'm loading
- The settings after I have loaded the act file
- the Crop Screen with the blue color missing

Color differences between high and low res images in Illustrator pdfs

OK, I'm creating a tradeshow graphic for a client. I designed the whole thing in Illlustrator CS6. But for the proof, I used a low res image of the sky (before we purchased it). Everyone was happy. It was a low-res RGB image imported into Illustrator, then the whole thing was exported as a pdf.
Once they approved it, I purchased the high res image. RGB. Same image... just high res. I popped it into the Illustrator file and exported it in exactly the same way. But now, the image looks much more purple. The low res pdf showed it as much brighter, lighter blue.
My client prefers the lighter blue. When I look at the two images in Photoshop, they look the same (in terms of color).
So... should I be worred? Why is there such a color difference? Thanks!
I'm attaching jpgs of the pdfs just to show you the color differences.
Julie

Print Graphics: File >> Document Color Mode CMYK.
Digital Graphics: File >> Document Color Mode RGB.
The PDF presets in Illusttrator will generate CMYK PDFs or PDFs in the colorpsace Illustrator is set to, (except for smallest file size which makes RGB PDFs).
Firsst make sure you are in the correct colorspace in Illustrator before proceeding, adn make your imaeg CMYK if you are for example doing a banner for tradeshow. Backlit graphics are the only print graphics exception and should be RGB because Lambda printers actaully are native RGB.
Open your lo and hi res in Phoothsop and compare the color values by watching the info aplette in Photoshop.
When generating PDFs keep in minds that and RGB PDFs have different color than a CMYK PDF.

Color difference b/t JPG images seen on DPP vs. Preview

I take photos w/ Canon 30D using RAW file and touch up/convert to JPG on DPP. There is a significant color difference on the same JPG image when seen on DPP vs. when seen on Preview. Does anybody have the same problem? It only looks different on Preview b/c when I upload it on a web gallery, the color looks fine, so it's not the converting process that's messing up the color but something about Preview that's causing the problem. Any solution to this?

I've got the same problem on my new macbook. And what's more disturbing is I still could not find one display color profile could give the right color...the color LCD one is ok for daily use, but the color is still duller than it should be, when editing photos.

CS5 - Color difference between Photoshop and other programs

I'm running CS5.5 student edition on a brand new Asus Q500A laptop running Windows 8. i7 processor and a UMA graphics card.
I do not have calibration software; I'm using Calibrize for the moment and colors appear fairly true when browsing after calibration.
My problem is that overall colors in Photoshop appear more saturated than those in regular browser windows, particularly reds. I set up my computer to run the Win8 photos app and my desktop with Photoshop simultaneously and the color difference was immediately noticeable. I did a quick screen grab to show the difference; the inset photo is the one viewed in Win8's photos app, and the background is the exact same photo open in Photoshop.
This is the second install of this program. I originally installed it on a Dell Inspiron with a DuoCore processor (way out of spec, I know - that's why I upgraded!) and I seem to remember having this issue then, too. I found a way to correct it, but I don't remember how I fixed it and Photoshop is no longer on that machine so I can't look over my settings.
I have not changed the color profile in Photoshop. When installed it chose North America General Purpose 2 as default and I've left it there. I experimented with the other color profiles and while the color tone in Photoshop changes, there is still a difference when the image is viewed in another program.
Any help is much appreciated - I can't trust the program to handle color properly right now and until I can, I'm dead in the water.

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. When I view the image on another computer or my iPhone, the image views properly. It's my photography, from a tree in my back yard. I know how the image is supposed to look, and right now it doesn't look right in Photoshop.
On my previous machine, I am almost positive that it was saving as sRGB by default as well. I don't remember what color profile I was working in, but I know that I did not have a color profile/space error pop up on opening new images, nor do I have that problem on other images saved on that machine that I'm opening on the laptop.

Color differences between these two files?

Could someone please tell me the color differences between these two files? What are the differences in general of these two files and how do I make a file identical to the blue cancel button?
I am working with signature pads and the BLUE CANCEL image works, but the other GREEN image does not. Both are 8-bit .bmp files... HELP!

#1, obviously, would be to connect a mic that doesn't require phantom power.
And #2 comes with a 6 ft. USB cable, so you may not need a bunch more cables. Maybe just one standard XLR to connect a mic to it.
Message was edited by: p o'flynn

How can i open the "Convert to Indexed Color" dialog with custom presets?

Hi,
I need to automatically open the "Convert to Indexed Colors" dialog in Photoshop. Before and after that i have some scripts running so its not possible to open the dialog manually. Also i want to set some custom presets (like number of colors etc.).
Found something similar to what i want for the Color Range selection (opens the dialog with the presets you put in):
function colorrange(enabled, withDialog, fuzziness) {
    if (enabled != undefined && !enabled)
      return;
    var dialogMode = (withDialog ? DialogModes.ALL : DialogModes.NO);
    var desc1 = new ActionDescriptor();
    desc1.putInteger(app.charIDToTypeID('Fzns'),fuzziness);
    var desc2 = new ActionDescriptor();
    desc2.putDouble(app.charIDToTypeID('Lmnc'), 31.22);
    desc2.putDouble(app.stringIDToTypeID("a"), 0.86);
    desc2.putDouble(app.stringIDToTypeID("b"), 0.31);
    desc1.putObject(app.charIDToTypeID('Mnm '), app.charIDToTypeID('LbCl'), desc2);
    var desc3 = new ActionDescriptor();
    desc3.putDouble(app.charIDToTypeID('Lmnc'), 95.34);
    desc3.putDouble(app.stringIDToTypeID("a"), 54.59);
    desc3.putDouble(app.stringIDToTypeID("b"), 49.85);
    desc1.putObject(app.charIDToTypeID('Mxm '), app.charIDToTypeID('LbCl'), desc3);
    desc1.putInteger(app.stringIDToTypeID("colorModel"), 0);
    var desc4 = new ActionDescriptor();
    var desc4 = executeAction(app.stringIDToTypeID('colorRange'), desc1, dialogMode);
How can i achieve the same for the indexed color conversion dialog? Apart from doing a lot of guessing regarding the stringIDs.
Is there some kind of "lookup table" for char and string IDs?
Thank you guys in advance! This forum has been a great help many times.

Ok never mind i got it, stupid me.
Recorded it with Script Listener and changed the "DialogMode" parameter of the executeAction function from "DialogModes.No" to "DialogModes.All".
var idCnvM = charIDToTypeID( "CnvM" );
            var desc249 = new ActionDescriptor();
            var idT = charIDToTypeID( "T " );
                var desc250 = new ActionDescriptor();
                var idPlt = charIDToTypeID( "Plt " );
                var idClrP = charIDToTypeID( "ClrP" );
                var idSele = charIDToTypeID( "Sele" );
                desc250.putEnumerated( idPlt, idClrP, idSele );
                var idClrs = charIDToTypeID( "Clrs" );
                desc250.putInteger( idClrs, 4 );
                var idFrcC = charIDToTypeID( "FrcC" );
                var idFrcC = charIDToTypeID( "FrcC" );
                var idNone = charIDToTypeID( "None" );
                desc250.putEnumerated( idFrcC, idFrcC, idNone );
                var idTrns = charIDToTypeID( "Trns" );
                desc250.putBoolean( idTrns, false );
                var idDthr = charIDToTypeID( "Dthr" );
                var idDthr = charIDToTypeID( "Dthr" );
                var idDfsn = charIDToTypeID( "Dfsn" );
                desc250.putEnumerated( idDthr, idDthr, idDfsn );
                var idDthA = charIDToTypeID( "DthA" );
                desc250.putInteger( idDthA, 75 );
            var idIndC = charIDToTypeID( "IndC" );
            desc249.putObject( idT, idIndC, desc250 );
        executeAction( idCnvM, desc249, DialogModes.ALL ); //Change from NO to ALL

ACR color difference with PS CS4

I tried a search and can't find a thread about what I'm seeing, so I'm posting in the hopes that others may be seeing the same thing.
I have PS CS4 and ACR 5.3 (latest patches) on a Windows XP Pro computer. I use Adobe RGB as my working space and profile my dual monitors with an Eye One Display2. I recently started experimenting with using ACR to edit tif files, but I noticed that while the image is loaded in the ACR window it looks quite different color wise than the Bridge thumbnail or within CS4 (after opening it as a smart object). The look in ACR is similar to what the same image looks like in CS4 with the ColorMatch profile assigned to the image (i.e. quite a bit brighter and lacking saturation).
Here's the weird things:
When I first open the tif image, it looks correct as long as the exclaimation mark is present on the preview window. Once the file is fully processed and that icon disappears the image color makes the dramatic change. If I then make no changes and simply open the image in CS4, then it's back to the original "correct" colors.
If I zoom in the ACR preview to 50% or higher, then the color difference is negligible if not entirely gone, but I can't edit an 8000x5000 without seeing the entire image.
Here's what I have tried:
Turned off all OpenGL features
Verified my monitor profile was being recognized by CS4
Ensured my color settings didn't get changed (preserve profiles is on, as well as ask on mismatch)
Tested them with an image that was a known mismatch and it asked what I should do as expected
I tried PS CS3 and ACR 4.x with the same result
Stripped out XMP metadata with Exiftool to see if that may have been an issue - it wasn't
I'm hoping someone else has an idea what is causing this or if it's a known issue. Any ideas or confirmation on what I'm seeing would be appreciated.
Craig

cssadobe wrote:
It doesn't matter which space is set, the display of the image is always the same in ACR.
Holy cow! If that's the case in your setup, you have a HUGE problem, Craig.
You should definitely see a big difference in the ACR preview when you set your ACR worflow options to ProPhoto RGB compared to either Adobe RGB or sRGB. If you don't, either your monitor is not accurately calibrated and profiled, or it's a lousy narrow-gamut monitor, or your color management is broken.
EDIT: It could be that the scan was not really made in ProPhoto RGB but was converted by the lab to that profile, in which case then, yes, you would see no difference because the true, original color space was and remains narrower and smaller than the lowest common denominator, which could well be anything, including Color Match or sRGB (and we all know what the s stands for in sRGB!).
cssadobe wrote:
Since PS CS4 created the tiff, the preview and the actual image data should be identical in my opinion. Would you agree with that? I don't know why PS would create a preview that was not identical in display characteristics to the actual image.
No, I would not agree with that. No reasonable person can expect a low-resolution, JPEG-like preview embedded in the TIFF to look identical to the TIFF. Information has to be discarded to generate the preview. But that's beyond the scope of ACR.
What I would expect is that ACR would render a better display from the original data in the TIFF than what the mediocre embedded preview can generate.
cssadobe wrote:
If I zoom in on the image in ACR to at least 50%, then the difference seems to disappear.
Well, duh! You only see the real image when you view it at 100%. The farther you get from 100%, the more information is either being discarded (at anything less than 100%) or made up, invented at greater than 100%. 50% is still not as good as 100%, but it's definitely better than the miserably low 8.7% view you were using when you made that last screen shot.
Seeing that you have severe problems with your display, as suggested by the first paragraph in this post, there seems to be no point in discussing in detail any of the discrepancies you mention, most especially at any other view that is not actual pixels (100%).
I'll have to read the thread again when I have the time to see if you have said when you calibrated your monitor last and how, what your color settings are, what monitors you're running, etc.
I validate the calibration on my monitors practically on a daily basis with a hardware calibrator puck.
But, ultimately, viewing a large scan at a dismal 8.7% you can't make any of the judgments you are trying to make.

Photoshop CS4 and Indexed Color

The color swatches in the 64-bit version of Photoshop CS4 do not change to the used swatches for the indexed image, rather they show the default colors for Photoshop. I looked to see if there was a setting to show the colors in use, but alas there is none. Is this a feature or a bug?
Thanks,
-Chris

Chris Cox wrote:
Ok, what you stated is the way it's always worked.
Did you confuse Photoshop behavior with ImageReady or some other app?
ImageReady wouldn't let you import an indexed color image, it had to be converted to an 8bit format in Photoshop before you could send it to ImageReady. Allowing people to select colors not in the color table isn't an intuitive process. I miss the intuitive Adobe I've helped to support, since they began. I guess customer service shouldn't be expected anymore either, after spending a few hours in these forums with such whitty responses.
Anyhow back to my original point, Photoshop did not always act the way it does now. I was not aware it had changed. It's been a while since I tried to touch up something for separation into spot using indexed color. Must have been overlooked/omitted in the PS core for the CS line. The only pre-CS copy of Photoshop I had installed anywhere is 5.5. I've got every version since 2.5, but not enough time to install it or see if it will work on Vista 64, so unfortunately you'll have to accept this screenshot as evidence. Not everyone on these forums is confused.
Must have been another misguided attempt to try to "stay relevant."

Export layers to files change from index color?

Hello, can someone tell me how to change it where when I run the Export files to layers script in CS4 my pngs are saved as RGB instead of index color? My original PSD that I am running the script on is RGB and it's driving me crazy that it's saving my pngs as index! Any help would be great! Thanks!

You are a lifesaver! Thank you so much!

Indexed color and transparency in PNGs

I'm working with a software developer who is revising his subtitle rendering application to meet my company's specifications. The renderer produces an image sequence, and we agreed on using PNGs with a transparent background as the format for the image sequence. The renderer is producing PNGs in Indexed Color mode, so Photoshop and Windows Photo Viewer recognize the transparent background, but Premiere Pro CS5.5 and CS6 don't. I can re-save one of the PNGs after switching it to RGB mode in Photoshop, and then Premiere Pro recognizes the transparency. I'm not surprised by any of that. What I am surprised by is that the software developer says he can import the same PNGs, without switching to RGB mode, into his copy of Premiere Pro CS3, and Premiere recognizes the transparency.
Is there anything I can do besides batch processing in Photoshop to get Premiere Pro CS5.5 or 6 to recognize the transparency in an Indexed Color PNG? Has something changed since CS3? I did look under Modify>Interpret Footage to make sure that my Ignore Alpha Channel box is unchecked for the PNGs, but I can't find another relevant setting to check, and I can't figure out why CS3 would be able to recognize an Indexed Color PNG.

PNG's need to be RGB.
CS3 was a long time ago..
You can however import gif in indexed color with transparancy.

Color Difference - Camera Raw & Nikon Raw NEF

Hello everybody
When i open a Nikon Raw file in Camera Raw (Photosop CC) I notice a distinct color-difference between the integrated preview image in the Raw file and the camera Raw standard.
I want to start with the exact same color how it came from the camera.
Refers to Nikon D300 or D800 in Raw / Nef format.
left, from Camera Raw 8.4.1 "Camera Raw Standard"
right, integrated preview from the original raw-file
Mostly i have the difference in Blue, it's too much cyan in there an looks not "natural"!
thanks for help

The third icon in from the right (looks like a camera) called camera calibrations is where the presets live that supposedly match that of your camera.
Even though you use those presets, you are not done. To match what you see in your camera, you must manually adjust the sliders under the basic tab until it does match.
What you see in your camera is a processed image, which is applied to a jpg only. The raw file is just that raw, no processing is done to it. Think of it as a negative. It is your permanent record of the image. Camera raw is then used to manually set up the image to your personal liking. Which does a better job the camera or yourself, is dependent on your skills. You can get details out of that raw file that the camera can not.
When you find you are placing the sliders in certain location more than once, then it is time to create a preset in camera raw that stores those settings. The more you use camera raw, more you can see when your own preset can be used (even as a starting point) and when it is time to do everything manually.
So in other words it is going to take time to 1)get a keen eye 2)understand the subtle differences in what each setting does and 3) collect a library of presets that you can use time and again.

Color difference when using a different programs

I find this very odd, but now that I am using multiple program within the Creative Suite I am beginning to notice color differences. For instance, if I use hex: #200add in Photoshop it renders a different blue then in Illustrator or InDesign. Why is this? And how can I keep the colors consistent? It's not just with hex colors but with RGB/CYMK. Is there a way I can move my color specs from Photoshop to InDesign and Illustrator?
It's the same monitor, same file, same everything, but a different program renders a different color. I am also running CS5.5 on a iMac
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hex color shifts appearance on screen depending on what source ICC profile is being used (or passed through to the monitor) and the monitor profile
in other words hex color on the monitor seems to be dependent on the profile (colorspace) it was set in and how different the monitor profile is from that profile (colorspace)
to keep it consistent in a Web browser, Convert your files to sRGB before setting a hex color before saving for web
acuracy is a different matter
COLOR CONSISTENCY vs. COLOR ACCURACY
A real problem for Web designers and color-managed Web browsers is mixing tagged and untagged color where the graphic background needs to "match" or blend seamlessly into an HTML background color. The choice really boils down to designing Web pages for color consistency or color accuracy...MORE (see the COLOR CONSISTENCY vs. COLOR ACCURACY tutorial)
printing, I would think, is bound by the same rules
Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator -- you could start by syncing your Color Settings in those apps and being aware of the rules (how each app uses profiles) but i don't think there is a simple answer here

Indexed color / differences in dimension

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