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bnies813
Known Participant
August 3, 2020
Answered

Thumbnails in File Explorer Show Different Coloring than in Photoshop

  • August 3, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 3026 views

Has anyone come across this before and can help me understand why this might be happening?....

 

I color corrected a mess of photos in Photoshop and they all looked great...in Photoshop. However, when I viewed the thumbnails in the Windows File Explorer, the coloring was off in a lot of the images I already corrected. When I open the file, everything seems OK. All my files are being saved as TIFF.

 

It's frustrating, as I now have to go in and redo the color correcting for over half the photos I just spend two full days correcting. 

 

I'm using a PC - Windows 10.

 

Any insight would be helpful.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer JJMack

What application or plug-in created the thumbnails for windows file explore. Are all file in the sRGB colors space are  windows file explorers Thumbnails color managed.  Are the thumbnails the Preview Jpegs image in you RAW files generated by you camera's firmware.  I would only be concerned if the Thumbnails were the ones Bridge and Lightroom create and display.

2 replies

D Fosse
Community Expert
D FosseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 3, 2020

It's even simpler than that: Windows Explorer is not color managed. It does not support icc profiles at all.

 

There is no need to pay any attention to the color difference. Trust Photoshop. Explorer is simply not displaying the thumbnails correctly.

 

That said, it sounds like you may want to stick to sRGB until you get more experience. That has the highest likelyhood of displaying roughly right even without color management, in the highest number of possible scenarios. In other words, it's the safest. When using Adobe RGB or ProPhoto you absolutely need full end-to-end color management, or it will not be handled correctly.

 

With CMYK it's even more critical. Very few applications support CMYK at all. It is really not for beginners. Did the printer give you a specific CMYK profile to use?

JJMack
Community Expert
JJMackCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 3, 2020

What application or plug-in created the thumbnails for windows file explore. Are all file in the sRGB colors space are  windows file explorers Thumbnails color managed.  Are the thumbnails the Preview Jpegs image in you RAW files generated by you camera's firmware.  I would only be concerned if the Thumbnails were the ones Bridge and Lightroom create and display.

JJMack
B
bnies813Author
Known Participant
August 3, 2020

That's probably why. I should have thought of that. The pictures are saved as CMYK per the printer requirements. The thumbnails are probably showing in sRGB. I opened them in Lightroom and they look as they should there.


Thanks! Why does it always take someone else to point out what we should have seen in the first place. The human mind is a peculiar thing. lol.  🙂

 

Thanks Again!!

 

 

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