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pwg-user
pwg-user
Participant
December 21, 2019
Answered

Colormanagement for Adobe XD

  • December 21, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 2441 views

I would like to create my web designs with Adobe XD. But since XD still does not master color management and there are serious misrepresentations. Unfortunately this is not possible. Even when exporting to PDF, SVG, PNG or similar, color shifts occur. This means that I have a lot of additional work to correct the wrong colors. When can we finally expect a solution for this problem? How do other designers work with XD and the problem of colors? Is there a workaround?

Thanks for help and ideas

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Peter Villevoye

In just did some quick and dirty tests, and bringing image files into Adobe XD can be very tricky. Color profiles (missing or mis-matching ones) slightly mangle the original RGB values. But exporting SVG and PNG seems quite relaible, as far as I tested. The RGB values (as indicated in Adobe XD) are processed exactly into the exported image. The JPGs are off, but that's to be expected.

2 replies

HARSHIKA_VERMA
Community Manager
HARSHIKA_VERMACommunity Manager
Community Manager
December 23, 2019

Hi there,

 

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your feedback. In addition to what Peter has said, we would request you to please submit your feedback: https://adobexd.uservoice.com/forums/353007-adobe-xd-feature-requests/suggestions/17480899-color-management-set-color-profiles and upvote the request to add your voice.

 

Hope it helps.

 

Thanks,

Harshika

dianat19225747
dianat19225747
Known Participant
October 20, 2020

Hi Harshika,

I commented on the link you shared but I worry the OP's question isn't being addressed. It's the HEX colors that are significantly different from all the other Adobe programs (and most browsers) not images or displays like Peter has addressed. I'm not sure color management would address this issue. Do you know of another feature I could upvote to address this? It greatly impacts concepting brand identities and the final outcome of a development project as it looks very different from XD files.

I've uploaded a screenshot of a site I did pulled up in Chrome with the XD file behind it on a 2018 MacBook Pro. When comparing XD to Illustrator, the same thing happens—Illustrator is lighter and less vibrant no matter which color profile is selected. However, it should be noted that Firefox Developer Edition is the closest in matching. I would think the standard should be to at least match the other Adobe programs? I am very confused, haha.

Thanks in advance!
-Diana

    Peter Villevoye
    Community Expert
    Peter VillevoyeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 22, 2019

    Taka a deep breath, close your eyes, are you ready ?

    Never, there won't ever be an end to the problem of bad or lacking color management.

    There is a standard though, a good one, even ! Based on the science, findings, and guidelines of the ICC, devices are able to manage their colors and display colors reliably, consistently and predictively, as good as possible. But in order to achieve this for the whole world, all devices (input and output) from all manufacturers would need to comply with this standard and its methods. And then we only would have tackled the management of color profiling, and we'd still have the obvious problem of devices not being able to display all possible colors but just their fair proximation. And the biggest problem: users need to calibrate their devices – which they don't...

     

    On the contrary, users are even consciously moving away from preferring to see colors as they are, with screens going into "night shift" mode, applying less brightness and a yellow color cast to prevent assumed stress in their vision and brain. Users leave their TV sets in color modes they prefer for watching movies, while switching to computer stuff and gaming and expecting everything to look the same. No can do.

     

    Since the dawn of the web, I've only seen color managed and calibrated environments, dealing with wholesellers and resellers of goods like clothing and furniture, designers and printers, video editors and publishers. They need to judge imagery of e.g. fabrics and packaging in a reliable way. So they use dedicated computers and displays and color managed web content to be able to show and see what they're exchanging, selling and buying.

     

    But for the rest ? The sRGB profile is the best thing these industries have been able to achieve for users...

      pwg-user
      pwg-userAuthor
      Participant
      December 22, 2019

      Many thanks for the answer.

      Unfortunately, it misses my problem. Maybe that is because I have not made myself clear. I am not interested in the colour effect of different display devices. It's more about picking a certain hex value (sRGB) in Photoshop and then using it in Adobe XD. Already there the color looks completely different and when I export a PNG, SVG or similar from XD, different colors come out. Even if I convert them back to sRGB in Photoshop. Just the fact that the color is displayed completely wrong in Adobe XD is a catastrophe. How should one create a layout. Everything you see is wrong and much too saturated. (By the way, I use a system-wide color management that works seamlessly in all other programs).

        Peter Villevoye
        Community Expert
        Peter VillevoyeCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
        Community Expert
        December 23, 2019

        In just did some quick and dirty tests, and bringing image files into Adobe XD can be very tricky. Color profiles (missing or mis-matching ones) slightly mangle the original RGB values. But exporting SVG and PNG seems quite relaible, as far as I tested. The RGB values (as indicated in Adobe XD) are processed exactly into the exported image. The JPGs are off, but that's to be expected.

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