Skip to main content
L
laurasmg
Participant
March 6, 2020
Answered

Color mismatch between Lightroom and Windows Photos

  • March 6, 2020
  • 4 replies
  • 3324 views

Hi, I have a Dell Inspiron and a Dell Ultrasharp monitor and I've been having some issues recently regarding colors. When I export my photos from Lightroom and open them on the default Windows 10 photo viewer app (Photos), the colors are way more saturated then when I preview then on Lightroom.

I export in JPEG, sRGB color space, 100% Quality, 300 DPI, Sharpen for Matte Paper, High Amount.

This is very frustating, I hope I could get some help.

Thanks,

Laura

    Correct answer TheDigitalDog

    Short answer: no, that will not solve your problem even if you could fully calibrate the display to Adobe RGB (1998). Again, non color managed applications have no idea what Adobe RGB (1998) is. It's like you asking me "How far do you live from my home" and I reply "1000". Is that 1000 feet? 1000 miles? 1000 kilometers? Without color management, RGB numbers have no defined scale and the display conditions are not known. So not, that's not a fix. The fix is always viewing image data in color managed applications, using data with a defined scale (embedded profiles) and using a calibrated and profiled display. 

    You cannot control what your clients see unless they have the same kind of reference display system you have, calibrate and profile identically AND use color management to view the image data. That's why such high end reference display systems from compaines like NEC (SpectraView) and Eizo exist. 

    Lastly, having a wide gamut display who's color gamut is Adobe RGB (1998) doesn't mean it's producing Adobe RGB (1998)! There is far more to any such color space than just it's color gamut. Alter the white point, it's not Adobe RGB (1998). Alter then cd/m^2 and it's not Adobe RGB (1998) or sRGB. 

    4 replies

    L
    laurasmgAuthor
    Participant
    March 7, 2020

    If I calibrate my monitor in Adobe RGB or other color space, will this solve my problem? Now I'm worried because I don't how this images will look like on my clients computers.

    TheDigitalDog
    TheDigitalDogCorrect answer
    Inspiring
    March 7, 2020

    Short answer: no, that will not solve your problem even if you could fully calibrate the display to Adobe RGB (1998). Again, non color managed applications have no idea what Adobe RGB (1998) is. It's like you asking me "How far do you live from my home" and I reply "1000". Is that 1000 feet? 1000 miles? 1000 kilometers? Without color management, RGB numbers have no defined scale and the display conditions are not known. So not, that's not a fix. The fix is always viewing image data in color managed applications, using data with a defined scale (embedded profiles) and using a calibrated and profiled display. 

    You cannot control what your clients see unless they have the same kind of reference display system you have, calibrate and profile identically AND use color management to view the image data. That's why such high end reference display systems from compaines like NEC (SpectraView) and Eizo exist. 

    Lastly, having a wide gamut display who's color gamut is Adobe RGB (1998) doesn't mean it's producing Adobe RGB (1998)! There is far more to any such color space than just it's color gamut. Alter the white point, it's not Adobe RGB (1998). Alter then cd/m^2 and it's not Adobe RGB (1998) or sRGB. 

    Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
      kentdesign
      Community Expert
      kentdesignCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 7, 2020

      Excellent explanation,digital dog!!!!!!:)

      TheDigitalDog
      TheDigitalDog
      Inspiring
      March 6, 2020

      The use of sRGB doesn't guarantee any kind of a visual match without a color managed product. Non color managed products like the one you are using has no idea what sRGB means nor the  state of your display to make previews using the display profile. In color managed applications, any RGB color space with an embedded profile will preview 'correctly' and there is no guarantee outside a color managed application, the previews in any color space will preview correctly. Because again, non color managed applications have no idea what color spaces really are. So while you may fix this with a better viewer that is color managed, expect the same issues in the future, in some browsers and such due to the inability of many products to understand color management. 

      Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
        Just Shoot Me
        Just Shoot Me
        Legend
        March 6, 2020

        Replace the Win 10 Photos with the Win 7 Windows Photo Viewer. That program is color managed

         

        Google for the steps to do that.

          Lauca
          Lauca
          Participating Frequently
          March 6, 2020

          Unfortunately, this is expected behavior. LR (as well as Phototoshop) are colr managed. This means they take in acount the profile of your monitor before sending image values to it, in order to have the monitor display the colors as close as possible to what is written in the file.

          Unfortunately, Windows Phot and Windows viewer are not color managed so thy do not take in account the monitor profile, resulting to incorrect colors displayed.

          This is very visible if you display sRGB photo on a wide gamut monitor. They will appear avoersaturated with Windows photo or Windows viewer.

           

          There is nothing you can do, except use a color managed viewer instead, like Fasttone Viewer.

            E
            Ege Balkıs
            Participant
            August 31, 2022

            Okay, this can be a weird question because i am looking for something contrary besides everyone. Windows photos app distorts colors but it has a perfect color scale for 3 of my projects. I am wondering if i would be able to see my photos in LR as i see in the windows photos app? Over a color profile etc. 

            Lauca
            Lauca
            Participating Frequently
            August 31, 2022

            "Windows photos app distorts colors"

            What do you mean by "distorts colors" ? If you mean oversatturated, this let think you're viewing sRGB photos on a wide gamut monitor with a non color-managed software.

             

            "it has a perfect color scale for 3 of my projects"

            What do you mean by projects ?
            Are these projects photos recorded with Adobe RGB (instead of sRGB) ? On a wide gamut monitor they would then be displayed with colors close to what they should be (whereas, sRGB photos would oversaturated, as I said).

             

            "I am wondering if i would be able to see my photos in LR as i see in the windows photos app?"

            LrC is color managed. So, as long as the profile is set the photo file, it should display them correctly (if you have a monitor profile) or almost correctly if you don't.

            Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
            Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices