Why do graphics prepared on one computer tend to look different on another?
Computer monitors from different manufactures have different electronic and screen properties. Contributing factors are the color characteristics of the CRT screen and the non-linear relation between perceived brightness and the voltage applied to generate the light on the screen. The brightness is proportional to the applied voltage raised to a power. This power is know as gamma. Typical CRT gamma value is close to 2.5 but can vary slightly. Strictly speaking, the red, green, and blue components of the CRT can have slightly different gamma values. Some monitors, notablly from Mac and SGI, correct this non-linearity giving a gamma value of 1. Because of the difference in the gamma value, an image that is just right on a Mac will look too dark and more reddish on a PC (with gamma 1.8 say). It is advisable to view your image on different platforms and make some compromise. An image file can contain the gamma and other color parameters of the platform where the image has been generated. T
