Linear workflow export washed out (Preserve RGB works, managed export doesn't)

Question

Hi everyone,I'm running into a frustrating color management issue in AE (latest version).Setup:Project: Working Color Space = Rec.709 Gamma 2.4, Linearize working color space = ON	Footage: HEVC 4K clip. Interpret Footage shows Media Color Space = Rec.709. I tried both "Embedded" and overriding to sRGB IEC61966-2.1	Output Module: Output Color Space = Rec.709 Gamma 2.4, Convert To Linear Light = Off, Preserve RGB = OffProblem: In the Composition viewer everything looks correct (thanks to the view transform). But every export (H.264, ProRes, etc.) comes out washed out / low contrast.If I check Preserve RGB, the export matches the viewer perfectly.Theory vs Reality: In theory, AE should be doing: Source (sRGB/Rec.709) → Working Space Linear (1.0 gamma) → Output Rec.709 Gamma 2.4 (with gamma encoding on export).But the final gamma encoding step on export seems to be failing, so I get linear-looking results instead.Has anyone seen this specific issue? Any reliable workarounds besides always using Preserve RGB or turning Linearize OFF?Thanks!

Nishu Kushwaha · Answer

Hi PabloQS, thanks for the thorough writeup.

A few things that would help narrow down whether this is a settings interaction or a real bug:

1. Your exact AE version (Help > About), since "latest" can mean 26.2.1 or 26.3.

2. Can you inspet the output in a diffetent player? Some players don't respect embedded color tags and can make the same file look washed out or fine depending on the viewer.

3. As a diagnostic test: try setting Working Color Space to Rec.709 Gamma 2.4 with Linearize OFF, and export with the same Output settings. If that export matches the viewer, it strongly suggests the issue is specifically in the linear-to-gamma re-encoding path on export.

4. Another test: keep Linearize ON, but set Output Color Space to "Same as working space" instead of explicitly Rec.709 Gamma 2.4. Sometimes explicit output profiles interact differently with the linearization pipeline than "Same as working space" does.

Let me know what you find with the tests above.

Thanks,

Nishu

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