Export Frame coming out darker than Project Monitor

Question

Im trying to export frames from a finished proyect Master (both Prores 422HQ and H264) and they always come out MUCH darker than what I see in the Program Monitor and in the uploaded video in Youtube. When I check the Display Color Management in Preferences > Color, image in Program Monitor turns much darker, just like the the stills.

My Sequence > Color Management > Output Color Space is Rec. 709.

My Lumetri Color settings are the following:

Proyect:
- HDR Graphics White (Nits): 100 (63% HLG, 51% PQ)
- 3D Lut Interpolation: Tetrahedral
- Viewer Gamma: 2.2 (Web)
Source Clip:
- Input LUT:
  - Use Media Color Space: Rec. 709
Sequence:
- Color Set Up: Direct Rec. 709 (SDR)
- Output Color Space: Rec. 709

When I import my exported frame into the proyect, it matches with my video (normal with Display Color Management unchecked, darker when it’s checked). When I import it to Photoshop, it looks dark interpreted as sRGB IEC61966-2.1 and even darker whe I assing a Rec. 709 profile.

I al ready tried Export Media > PNG instead of Shift + E and it doesn0t work either.

How can I make Premiere export stills correctly without changin the color interpretation from my original file?

R Neil Haugen · Answer

Color management is more complex because with the massive number of slightly to very different color spaces, gamuts, and dynamic ranges in current cameras ... well, it has to be. And yes the added complexity makes life for us in the biz a bit more ... tricksy ... at times.

I think the key thing I see in your post is that when you check DCM, the video image is as ‘dark’ as the still. In other words, when your monitor is set so that Premiere sends a correct image to the screen, it’s darker than you want ... so you turn off the DCM setting.

Wrong. That DCM setting is there to see that you see the correct image on the monitor. And in most cases, should be set on. On my laptop, that is always on, because I can only tune the laptop’s image so much. I very much need Premiere to read that monitor’s ICC setup, and give the correct image feed.

On my desktop, where the Transmit out (“Clean feed” option in Resolve) image goes, that monitor is heavily calibrated and then profiled to CHECK the calibration. Software/puck to calibrate, Lightspace combined with Resolve to do the profile pass to check the calibration. I re-do calibration/settings until the profile pass shows me graphs and data with a tightly controlled, accurate top-to-bottom image.

Therefore, I do not want Premiere doing anything with that monitor. So I don’t use Premiere’s DCM setting with that. But ... if you have not done the careful calibration and profile pass to confirm the accuracy of that calibration, the vast majority of users should have DCM on. Period.

If there are other issues outside Premiere, those typically are the problems of other things ... not the image in Premiere. Such as Apple’s horrible decision to use a wrong display gamma/transform for Rec.709 video on most Mac screens. That is not Premiere’s fault ... it’s a wrong choice by Apple. Understand, no professionally produced Network broadcast or streaming channel is graded to fit the Apple display transform. NONE.

So for further help, we’d need to know your system, your monitor setup, and your media.

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