How to remove Adobe gamma - on Windows 2000/XP/Vista

Turn off Adobe gamma on your PC before profiling

When you install many Adobe programs, the Adobe gamma software also gets installed on PCs. You can use it to calibrate your monitor at the system level and to create an ICC profile that describes how your particular monitor reproduces colour. Any application that uses ICC profiles can use this profile.

Although we only use Macs at Northlight, we get asked about this often enough that we've included this short guide to deactivating Adobe Gamma on your PC

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Why turn of Adobe Gamma?

If you are going to calibrate your monitor, then it's best that only one piece of software does the job for you. Adobe gamma is a useful bit of software that gets installed that can help you set up your monitor to look better.

Remember that adjusting a monitor by eye is at best a partial solution (see our viewing guide for more info about adjustments 'by eye')

If you are going to use any of the popular profiling packages (by ColorVision/X-Rite/Pantone for example) on a PC then they all recommend disabling Adobe Gamma

Turning of the automatic start-up of Adobe Gamma

Adobe Gamma is usually started by a short-cut in the start-up items folder. You can just delete this and the software won't get automatically started.

Note - If there is no short-cut there, then Adobe Gamma isn't getting loaded, so just carry on and use your profiling package

The installer installs the Adobe Gamma control panel (Adobe Gamma.cpl) into the Windows/System folder (Windows Me and 98) or the Program Files/Common Files/Adobe/Calibration (Windows XP and 2000), and it installs the Adobe Gamma loader application (Adobe Gamma Loader.exe) into the Program Files/Common Files/Adobe/Calibration folder. In addition, it installs a short-cut to the Adobe Gamma Loader application in the Windows/Start Menu/Programs/Startup folder (Windows Me and 98) or the Documents and Settings/All Users/Start Menu/Programs/Setup (Windows XP and 2000). As a result, the Adobe Gamma loader application appears in the Start > Programs > Startup menu and starts automatically during Windows startup.

While loading Adobe Gamma.cpl during Windows start-up, the Adobe Gamma Loader application applies settings in the Adobe Gamma.cpl file to the system and applies calibration settings for your monitor at the system level.

Windows 2000/XP

It's found at Drive/Documents & Settings/All Users/Start Menu/Programs/Start Up/Adobe Gamma Loader (alias)

The easy way to get at it is:

right-click on the Start button

go to Open or Open All Users

double-click PROGRAMS

double-click STARTUP.

Right-click on Adobe Gamma or Adobe Gamma Loader and delete.

Your profiling software will often place a new short-cut in the startup items folder that activates your new profile

Windows Vista

Any Adobe Gamma alias is in the same place as above - just delete it

Windows Me and 98

Choose Start > Settings > Taskbar and Start Menu Properties (Windows Me), or choose Start > Settings > Taskbar (Windows 98).

Click the Advanced tab (Windows Me) or the Start Menu Programs tab (Windows 98).

Click Remove in the Customize Start Menu section (Windows 98), or click Remove in the Start menu section (Windows Me).

Double-click Programs if it isn't expanded, and then double-click StartUp.

Select Adobe Gamma Loader.exe, and click Remove.

Click Yes if asked if you want to remove this item (Windows 98).

Click Close in the Remove Shortcuts/Folders dialogue box, and then Click OK in the Taskbar Properties dialogue box.

If you are curious about colour management and what it can do for you, then we have a growing collection of reviews and articles about software and hardware, and how to use it

Colour management info on this site

General colour Management

Why don't my prints match my screen?
A short article showing why there is more to getting your prints to match your screen, than just calibrating your monitor. It's the vital first step, but you do need to consider some other factors for best results.

The very simple guide to 'what is colour mangement'.
Is the red in RGB the same as a London bus, or a UK Telephone box? A very short explanation of what colour management is, and why you use it.

Colour management introduction

Beware the colour management Tar Pit
Know what levels of colour management (and expense ;-) suit the needs of your work... A personal view from Keith covering some of the things it is good for, but also why you should be careful to understand why you are doing it in the first place.

Room and office decoration and lighting for photo editing
Some information on what to consider when setting up a space to work on digital images and evaluate prints.

Media settings and profiling for third party inks
Keith recently converted an Epson Stylus COLOR 1160 to third party inks. In describing the profiling of a this set-up with a third party glossy paper, he shows how that often neglected aspect of profiling -driver media settings- can make all the difference between a so-so print and one that he would be happy to send out as a sample to his commercial clients. Test images for media selection.

Printer test images

Using the ColorMunki for black and white with QTR
A special version of our black and white test print for reading linearisation data for QTR

Using QTR and PrintFIX PRO for better black and white prints
By using the PrintFIX PRO to take readings from a greyscale test target, you can create luminance only icc profiles that can give a noticeable improvement to black and white print set-ups. It can even be used to improve the results from the likes of Epson's new 'advanced black and white' print settings.

Colour management and the web - why getting good colour on web sites is not as easy as you thought

Adjusting your monitor 'by eye'
Not the best way, but better than nothing at all

Dual monitor profiling under Windows XP SP2 - A brief note on profiling and calibrating dual monitor systems under Windows XP SP2.

Removing Adobe Gamma - Adobe Gamma is often installed by default on Windows PCs, this short note describes how to deactivate it.

Improving Colour on the Mac

Equipment and software reviews

X-rite (ex GretagMacbeth)

ColorMunki - an initial review of this printer/projector/monitor calibration/profiling device.

i1 Beamer - A software upgrade and hardware attachment device for using the X-rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer for digital projector profiling

i1 Display 2 - Monitor calibration and profiling device from GretagMacbeth - also allows ambient light measurement. (see also updated Pantone version)

i1 LT - review
Basic X-rite i1 spectrophotometer package for monitor calibration, light measurement and basic printer profiling.

i1 Design
A Spectrophotometer and software for monitor calibration, light measurement and basic printer profiling.

i1 scanner profiling
Using the Eye One with a scan target to get better results form your film or flatbed scanner.

i1 Camera profiling with the SG colorchecker

i1 printer profiling
More advanced printer profiling with the Eye One.

i1 profile editing - The Eye One Match software from GretagMacbeth (now X-rite) now allows you to edit icc printer profiles. How easy is it to use, and what things should you consider before editing profiles.

The Eye-One iO automated scanning table - review - An automated solution to improving the quality and accuracy of target measurement for printer profiles when using the i1 (ex Eye One) spectrophotometer.

i1 iSis - advanced measuring device for printer profiling.
An automated whole chart reader for printer profiling test charts. A3 and A4 versions provide spectrophotometer readings for both UV and UV-Cut (filtered) measurements.

Datacolor (aka ColorVision)

Spyder3 Print - printer profiling package for creating icc printer profiles. Allows considerable optimisation of profile qualities, including black and white.

Spyder3Pro - monitor profiling with multiple monitor support and ambient light measurement.

Spyder3elite - review of monitor and projector profiling system with multiple monitor support and ambient light measurement.

Spyder2express
The latest entry level monitor profiling system from ColorVision for Macs and PCs.

A review of the Spyder 2 pro monitor calibration system.

Projector profiling with the Spyder 2 Pro.

Spyder2PRO Ambient light measurement
The Spyder2PRO now allows you to measure your ambient room lighting conditions before deciding on monitor calibration settings (it also now supports vista).

PrintFIX PRO
A considerable upgrade to the PrintFIX. The new version uses a Spectrocolorimeter to let you create printer icc profiles (Not sold directly any more - you can ugrade the software for free to Spyder3 Print)

Updated PrintFIX PRO - better colour printing and B/W too...

PrintFIX PLUS
The software only version of PrintFIX PRO that allows you to create icc profiles without your own patch reader.

The original PrintFIX review
Printer profiling system (not sold directly any more)

Pantone

Pantone Eye One Display LT - monitor profiling. The mid range monitor profiling solution in the trio from Pantone. The measuring device is an Eye One Display LT from GretagMacbeth, and uses the Eye One Match software.

Pantone Eye One Display 2 - monitor profiling. The measuring device is an Eye One Display 2 from GretagMacbeth, and uses the Eye One Match software. This review has additional information to that in our original GretagMacbeth Eye One Display 2 review, and compares features between the Display 2, Display LT and Huey.

Pantone Huey Pro - review
Dual monitor support and and improved set of options compared to the basic huey.

Pantone Huey - review
The Huey is a new and relatively inexpensive addition to the monitor profiling market. Keith looks at how it performs, including its novel capacity to modify your monitor setup in response to changing room lighting.

Others

ColorEyes Display Pro
Monitor profiling software that works with a variety of measurement devices.

Kodak Professional Colour Management check up kit - review

Print Profiler - review
An i1 based print and monitor profiling system from Colour Confidence.

Print Profiler - update
An improved version of the Print Profiler package.

GrafiLite
A review of the Ott Lite based print viewing lamp.

Other areas of our site that may be of interest...

NEW -- Create your own customised A3 size wall calendar from a choice of 90 of Keith's images. Choose your own images for your own custom printed calendar - 12 months starting any month of the year - many all new images not yet in our main gallery.

Digital Black and White. Keith was recently interviewed about digital black and white photography for a magazine article. We have an expanded version here covering some of his thoughts, techniques and tips for those thinking of trying black and white.

As well as our Commercial Photography services and Training there is a growing collection of photography Articles and Reviews on the site aimed at helping you get the best out of your own photography. We also have a growing collection of Photography related information and links that we hope you find useful.

New site features and some of Keith Cooper's latest work are always covered in the What's New page.

Visiting Leicester or wondering where it is? We have views from the Leicester traffic cameras.