Photoshop 27.9.0 opens new images with Proof Colors automatically enabled, causing washed-out colors by default any time an image is opened

Hi ​@kt_hartt,

Thank you for taking the time to file this detailed report. I appreciate the specifics. If updating to v27.9.1 as suggested by AxelMatt doesn't help, I'd like to ask a few questions to make sure we're covering all bases:

• Is "Precise Color Management for HDR Displays" enabled in your Technology Previews? (Preferences > Technology Previews). There's a separate known issue where enabling that setting on Mac can cause Adobe RGB images to appear lighter/washed out. This would look similar to Proof Colors being toggled on, but has a different root cause.
• Does this happen with all color profiles or only specific ones? (e.g., Adobe RGB (1998), ProPhoto RGB, or only when the document profile differs from your monitor profile?)
• A closely related report specifically links this to GPU compositing. Would you mind unchecking "Use Graphics Processor" under Preferences > Performance?
• After manually unchecking View > Proof Colors, does the issue stay resolved for that document, or does it re-enable when you switch tabs or open additional images?

Please let us know the answers to the above, especially whether updating to 27.9.1 resolves the issue entirely. If it persists after the update, we'll want to dig deeper into your specific color management and GPU configuration.

Best,
Anshul Saini

Washed out colors was a issue in Photoshop 27.9.0. It was fixed in version 27.9.1. Install the recent update and check.