I have been and I am still using mainly sRGB. For many good reasons:
- I mostly print via web services like mypix.com, order books or share my photos on the web.
- My home printer is a HPC7280 all-in-one with 6 inks. I never found a way to disable the color managing via the printer. I suppose that will prevent any advanced calibration of the printer...
- I also admit the main reason is that I am sure I'll forget some day to convert to sRGB when needed, and I know the result... So I have chosen a good and safe color mode which gives me very good results for my taste.
However...
1- I am considering changing my old CRT display. If I also consider the price for a decent PVA or IPS panel monitor plus an adequate calibration tool (the price of two good prime lenses...) Wide gamut?
2 - I was convinced very few of my raw pictures contained 'out of gamut' colors for sRGB (bright cyan/green/blue). I recently changed my mind having to process sea landscape from the Mediterranean (Corsica) of a friend of mine... and the blue eyes of my grand children!
So, discussing on various forums, I was told that even relatively low-cost home printers with 6 inks were able to take advantage of aRGB.
I chose a raw file with both flesh tones and pale blues/cyans:
http://michelbretecher.perso.sfr.fr/IMG_0410.CR2
I processed them from raw in both color spaces, letting the HP Printer manage either color space, and looked at the results on HP Premium+ paper.
Main difficulties to compare the results: long drying time of Premium+ paper and viewing light quality.
However, whatever the viewing light, the differences side by side are rather obvious. I'll ask other non expert people to tell their preference.
I prefer the softer gradation in the blue/cyan with aRGB. sRGB gives brighter colors and unexpectedly more detail contrast in thoses blue/cyan (more aparent definition).
For those interested to test by themselves, first tell me if you can download the raw file...
- I mostly print via web services like mypix.com, order books or share my photos on the web.
- My home printer is a HPC7280 all-in-one with 6 inks. I never found a way to disable the color managing via the printer. I suppose that will prevent any advanced calibration of the printer...
- I also admit the main reason is that I am sure I'll forget some day to convert to sRGB when needed, and I know the result... So I have chosen a good and safe color mode which gives me very good results for my taste.
However...
1- I am considering changing my old CRT display. If I also consider the price for a decent PVA or IPS panel monitor plus an adequate calibration tool (the price of two good prime lenses...) Wide gamut?
2 - I was convinced very few of my raw pictures contained 'out of gamut' colors for sRGB (bright cyan/green/blue). I recently changed my mind having to process sea landscape from the Mediterranean (Corsica) of a friend of mine... and the blue eyes of my grand children!
So, discussing on various forums, I was told that even relatively low-cost home printers with 6 inks were able to take advantage of aRGB.
I chose a raw file with both flesh tones and pale blues/cyans:
http://michelbretecher.perso.sfr.fr/IMG_0410.CR2
I processed them from raw in both color spaces, letting the HP Printer manage either color space, and looked at the results on HP Premium+ paper.
Main difficulties to compare the results: long drying time of Premium+ paper and viewing light quality.
However, whatever the viewing light, the differences side by side are rather obvious. I'll ask other non expert people to tell their preference.
I prefer the softer gradation in the blue/cyan with aRGB. sRGB gives brighter colors and unexpectedly more detail contrast in thoses blue/cyan (more aparent definition).
For those interested to test by themselves, first tell me if you can download the raw file...