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Liam Wiebe
Known Participant
May 29, 2018
Question

Syncronized colors still don't match?

  • May 29, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 11427 views

I started this question in the illustrator forums, but couldn't figure out an answer. I was told to relay the info here and on the color management forums.

Original Discussion:

Exported Colors don't match Preview Colors - RGB

My Problem:

Colors don't match in different adobe programs (even though color settings are synced, color modes are the same, and they are being viewed on the same monitor).

This video displays my problem, although it shows older info than the images below (You may need to use the chrome browser if you aren't already):

Color_Problems.mp4 - Google Drive

These images show the details (I shared these after I made the video, so the info is more updated)

Photoshop color settings:

Illustrator color settings:

Any ideas? Why aren't the colors the same?

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    4 replies

    V
    Vardui5C7D
    Participant
    January 31, 2022

    You screenshot the illustrator color you want >paste it on photoshop>and change the dropper settings to "actual color."

    Select the screenshot with the dropper and copy its color code to the solid color's code

    I hope it works for you as well! 

    D Fosse
    Community Expert
    D FosseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 30, 2018

    I finally got around to check this. I can not reproduce it.

    Here are actual screenshots from PS and Ai - cropped and put together against a gray background here - from sRGB 247-147-30. My monitor profile is assigned, then converted to sRGB and the profile embedded in the PNG. So you can save this to disk and measure. The original 247-147-30 values should be maintained:

    I still haven't seen anyone else suggest a reprofiling of the display, so I'd like to repeat that request. This has to be the monitor profile - there's nothing else it can be

      L
      Liam WiebeAuthor
      Known Participant
      May 30, 2018

      Once I get my Calibrator back (borrowed it to a friend), I will re-calibrate again.

      So your saying that if there is no difference when I calibrate it again, then my calibrator is defective and I should get a new one?

      D Fosse
      Community Expert
      D FosseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 30, 2018

      First of all - color mode isn't interesting. What matters is the color profile - sRGB, Adobe RGB, US Web Coated, FOGRA39 and so on. The same numbers will yield different colors according to profile, and vice versa. Always think in terms of icc profiles!

      Second - synchronizing color settings doesn't really do anything. It's just defaults and conversion policies. Files can still have different color profiles! Any embedded profile should always override the working space. That's how it's designed to work.

      Third - there's a subtle difference in the CMYK policies: Illustrator's default is to preserve numbers. This is common good practice for preserving K-only overprint content on press; otherwise it will be converted into 4-color black. But it may change colors.

      Now. With that out of the way, any visual difference between two color managed applications has to be in the display color management chain. Usually it's a defective monitor profile, and so the very first step in all such troubleshooting is to reprofile your display. Do you have a calibrator?

        G
        G_Hoffmann
        Inspiring
        May 30, 2018

        Dag, I think, Gillian knows this already.

        I've tried to reproduce his workflow, but with CS6 instead of newer versions:

        Synchronize Photoshop and Illustrator for sRGB.

        Embedded profile overrides working space (actually here nowhere required)

        View PhS and Illu on the same monitor, even at he same time.

        Make Image in PhS with orange square RGB = 247/147/30

        Save as PNG8 or PNG24 or TIFF (PNG doesn't embed the profile, TIFF does)

        Prepare a document in Illu:

        Document space RGB, Settings as mentioned (sRGB). CMYK is nowhere involved.

        Place PhS-Image (one of them).

        Move PhS-Window and Illu-Window side by side. The colors look slightly different.

        Save Illu doc as PDF.

        Open this PDF in PhS.

        Measure RGB in PhS: 247/147/30 ...OK!

        I still don't know, how to use Eyedropper in Illu for measuring instead of transferring

        a picked-up color to another object.

        Applying Eyedropper(pick-up) delivers odd numbers e.g. 245/148/42 or 247/147/1

        or some other random-like combinations with unknown source.

        In the moment I can see only two possibilities left: Illu misinterpretes the common monitor

        profile or uses something different. Or Illu is affected by a random error.

        PhS is in this test everywhere correct.

        So far, the problem could not be solved in the Illu Forum.

        Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

          D Fosse
          Community Expert
          D FosseCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          May 30, 2018

          Ah, OK. Thanks for clarifying that, Gernot.

            Omar.Fathy
            Community Expert
            Omar.FathyCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            May 30, 2018

            In your video you are comparing between Illustrator view and Windows Picture view and it is normal because Windows Picture doesn't use the same color profile ( it doesn't use a color profile ) so it is the normal to be difference.

              L
              Liam WiebeAuthor
              Known Participant
              May 30, 2018

              Yes, I now know that is the case. But in my screenshot, you can still see the difference in color from illustrator to photoshop. Its subtle, but still a different shade of orange. I have no clue why

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