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Participating Frequently
May 4, 2021
Question

Exporting to RGB jpeg and maintaining the correct colour from placed images. HELP!!

  • May 4, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 1942 views

Hello all. I'm wondering if someone can help me because I am absolutely stumped!

If I first just tell you what I am trying to do, then I'll tell you the problem I'm having. It's driving me nuts.

1) I'm creating a series of images in Photoshop. These are made up as a combination of a photograph, and some graphics in a specific referenced RGB colour. These are saved out as jpegs.

2) In InDesign, I create a 'web' formatted RGB document, with multiple pages in it. The jpegs that I created in Photoshop are placed in on the page in picture boxes. I also ad live type in InDesign.

3) I export the pages out as RGB jpeg files.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM:

When I open the jpegs, the 'corporate colour' in the graphics, although moderately close, is different to the one in the original image.

I have tried every permutation of colour profile options - converting to, assigning, ignoring, simulating etc etc in both Photoshop and in InDesign and nothing seems to work. It's a bit of a mess. Does anyone know how to get me the result I'm after - is it even possible? Surely it should be?

Thanks in advance H

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3 replies

Community Expert
May 4, 2021

"For the purpose of the conversation - one of the particular colours was #56008c "

 

Alright. If that #56008c was stated in a corporate design manual, and a color profile is not mentioned at all, I would then have to assume that the right color profile for viewing this must be sRGB, the default color profile for the web.

See for example here: https://www.w3.org/TR/css-color-3/#sRGB-def

 

With that in mind just go on like Rob suggested.

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Community Expert
May 4, 2021

Hi RushfirthLeeds,

maybe you are using a workflow where a distinct corporate color cannot be maintained?

 

What exactly is the definition of that corporate color?
Is it a spot or a process color? How is the color value? How is the color mode?

Is a color profile defined? If not, values in RGB or CMYK are without any meaning.

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Participating Frequently
May 4, 2021

For the purpose of the conversation - one of the particular colours was #56008c 

So lets say there was a large block of colour in this colour on the image.

I place the image in InDesign, in a document that was set up as a web document when creating it from the ne document options.

I then export the InDesign pages to RGB jpegs

When I open the jpegs the #56008c block of colour has changed shades. I've played around with various combinations of profile settings, and I can't get the colours established in the image file to pull through intact when taken through InDesign.

rob day
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 4, 2021

The Photoshop file has sRGB assigned (I have Document Profile showing in the lower left corner), and InDesign’s Link Info confirms the placed file’s profile is also sRGB. The JPEG Export includes the profile:

 

 

The exported JPEG (right)

 

Legend
May 4, 2021

"I'm creating a series of images in Photoshop." With which RGB profile?

"These are saved out as jpegs." Do you embed profile?

"In InDesign, I create a 'web' formatted RGB" Does the RGB profile match Photoshop?

"When I open the jpegs, the[colour] is different to the one in the original image." Open in which app?

Extra question - what is your exact monitor model?

Participating Frequently
May 4, 2021

Hi, thanks for the reply.

 

To be fair, when it comes to the above, I spent a whole afternoon mixing and matching all kinds of profiles - embedding and not emeding, joggling things on and off and nothing seemed to make a blind bit of difference.

In most cases I work convert to sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile... I think.  The monitor is an iMac -

Built-In Retina LCD

Resolution: 5120x2880 Retina

Framebuffer Depth: 30-Bit Colour (ARGB2101010)

 

rob day
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 4, 2021

If the final destination is for web viewing, make sure you are using sRGB in both Photoshop and InDesign. When you save an image from Photoshop for placing in ID embed the sRGB profile in the Save dialog:

 

 

In InDesign make sure the document also has sRGB assigned, Edit>Assign Profiles... And make sure the Edit>Transparency Blend Space is set to RGB