Skip to main content
S
stevel76387034
Inspiring
November 17, 2016
Question

working space reverts to sRGB after every update

  • November 17, 2016
  • 5 replies
  • 1273 views

Hi all,

Photoshop retains many of my settings when it updates, but one thing it has never retained is my color working space. After every single update that CC has ever put out, the working space reverts from Adobe 1998 to sRGB. It is well known that sRGB is an inferior color space, and no one using Photoshop should be using it. Adobe even has their own, better color space: Adobe 1998. Yet this is not the default. I never realize this has happened, either, because the setting to "Ask when opening" is also unchecked after every update. Instead, I notice somewhere along my workflow that the color gamut is suddenly limited. Why, Adobe, why do you do this to me???

      This topic has been closed for replies.

      5 replies

      D Fosse
      Community Expert
      D FosseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 18, 2016

      Per Berntsen wrote:

      although all other preferences are transferred when I install a new version, color settings are not.

      Yep, same here. And as noted it doesn't matter, as long as "Preserve Embedded" is checked, which it is by default.

      The only practical implication is the grayscale setting, because when you view individual channels, it is treated as a grayscale image with your working gray assigned. This might cause some apparent inconsistencies. To avoid this you can set working gray to gamma 2.2 for sRGB and Adobe RGB files (but note it should be gamma 1.8 for ProPhoto files).

      Generally, in response to the OP, there is no color space that is "better" than the others, only more or less appropriate. There is no reason to "dislike" sRGB. It remains very useful for the simple reason that it corresponds fairly closely to the native color space of most standard monitors. This is why sRGB is the correct space to use for situations without any color management.

      And it also means that if you have a standard monitor, you won't see any difference between sRGB, Adobe RGB or ProPhoto on screen. They will all look exactly the same, all will be clipped to sRGB (or very close).

      In fact the sRGB specification was originally made for that explicit purpose - to describe the native color space of an average CRT monitor. As such it is the seed for all modern color management.

      S
      stevel76387034Author
      Inspiring
      November 18, 2016

      Thanks for the responses. The reason it's important is that I work in a

      high end print shop. If a client gives me files in ProPhoto, and PS is

      using sRGB, I'll be sending the file to the printer with a reduced gamut,

      correct?

      Theresa J
      Community Expert
      Theresa JCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 18, 2016

      Steve,

      sRGB has the smallest gamut, and ProPhoto has the largest. If I client sends you an sRGB file you can't increase the gamut by converting it to Adobe1998. It is what it is. They have already reduced the gamut by saving it in sRGB. If a client gives you a ProPhoto file, it likely contains colors outside of what your printer is capable of reproducing. As long as you both know that, it's okay too. The most important thing to avoid, is to assign a profile different than the intended profile. That will change the color of the image.

      S
      SasquatchPatch
      Participating Frequently
      November 18, 2016

      Yeah, CC2017 reset my color settings too even after I checked the box to retain settings. BFD. Since Ps has had the ability to work in multiple color spaces simultaneously for a long time now, does it really matter. I never even bother to set the color space at all. It simply doesn't matter any more. My files are coming from my drum scanner in the scanner profile space and will be converted to whatever is appropriate and my digital capture files are coming from Capture One usually in DonRGB and that's where they stay until the need to change. None of that is affected by the choice of default working color space. It's completely independent of whatever file you're working on right now and really only matters if someone happens to send you an untagged file, in which case you'll be using Assign Profile to find what looks best anyway. I know that this post will rankle some but the more you think about it the more you'll see how much sense it makes.

      Theresa J
      Community Expert
      Theresa JCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 18, 2016

      Do you create your own custom color setting and use Bridge to sync it to all of your apps? I also prefer Adobe 1998 for my default RGB workspace. My color settings use Adobe RGB 1998, GRACol 2006 and all the warnings are turned on. I have not noticed the updates resetting my custom setting, and I am wondering if it's because I have them saved to a custom setting.

      Per Berntsen
      Community Expert
      Per BerntsenCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 18, 2016

      Theresa J wrote:

      I have not noticed the updates resetting my custom setting, and I am wondering if it's because I have them saved to a custom setting.

      The exact opposite happens to me - although all other preferences are transferred when I install a new version, color settings are not. I use Adobe RGB, Coated Fogra 39 and Gray gamma 2.2, which gets reset to North America General Purpose.

      I am located in Norway, and It's possible that PS gets confused by the fact that my OS is in English, as well as CC programs.

      SasquatchPatch wrote:

      My files are coming from my drum scanner in the scanner profile space and will be converted to whatever is appropriate and my digital capture files are coming from Capture One usually in DonRGB and that's where they stay until the need to change. None of that is affected by the choice of default working color space. It's completely independent of whatever file you're working on right now and really only matters if someone happens to send you an untagged file, in which case you'll be using Assign Profile to find what looks best anyway. I know that this post will rankle some but the more you think about it the more you'll see how much sense it makes.

      Good point. The RGB working space doesn't really matter, as long as Preserve embedded profiles is checked.

      Photoshop will display images with embedded profiles correctly, regardless of the working space.

      And it makes sense to have Ask when opening checked for Missing profiles, so that one can assign a suitable profile to untagged files.

      postrophe
      postrophe
      Inspiring
      November 18, 2016

      Hi

      You did not say, but are you working on a "speciality" field of some sort ? (print or else)  and working/talking to professionals rip peoples ?

      Pierre

      mytaxsite
      mytaxsite
      Inspiring
      November 18, 2016

      sRGB is the world's default color space. Use it and everything looks great everywhere, all the time.   i SUGGEST READ THIS:

      <sRGB vs. Adobe RGB >

      GOOD LUCK.

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