Color on iPhone 11 looks washed out compared to edits made on MacBook

[John Paul Decker]

Currently editing photos on Lightroom and Photoshop (all set to sRGB) on an M2 Macbook Air 2022.

Photos look dynamic and colorful on the laptop, but as soon as I transfer to phone (iPhone 11 Pro) either via airdrop or lightroom mobile, the images become quite dull, washed out, low contrast. 

I've tried all sorts of exports and transfer methods, but with no real change in the quality. I've changed photo and display settings within the phone with no change either (true tone, night shift, etc.)

Is this just due to the display capabilities on the new device? Do I really need to edit elsewhere in order to edit in a way that reflects how the images will look on most devices that people view content on?

Looking for a solution to have the images I edit on my laptop look identical when I transfer them to a phone.

[Bob_Hallam]

Have you embedded the sRGB profiles in each image?  If not do that and the color should be closer.  The problem here is that your monitor and your phone, more than likely do not have calibrated displays so there will be differences.  Having an embedded profil should reduce the problem but unless you want to calibrate both the difference will remain.  

[John Paul Decker]

Hey Bob,

Thanks for replying! How do you suggest I go about that once I have images edited in Lightroom Classic?

[TheDigitalDog]

Anything you export from Lightroom Classic or Mobile will have an embedded profile so that's not the issue. 

Untagged data in sRGB to an iPhone will be assumed to be in sRGB. Ditto on your Mac using say Photos. As long as the image data IS in sRGB, it doesn't have to be tagged but yeah, it should be. 

Your iPhone (if version 6 or greater) is using a wide gamut display. As is your new Macbook. 

So something else is going on here but it would be useful to see the Export dialog settings you use in Lightroom Classic. 

On the iPhone, you're viewing the images where?

[John Paul Decker]

Export from lightroom is pretty standard - just File.. Export.. JPEG sRGB.
Would love recommendations for the best way to go about this!

When photos are transferred over to my iPhone, they are just viewed within the Photos application

[TheDigitalDog]

There is no 'best way' to do this. It all depends on the size, bit depth, and in this context, color space you wish.

Again, IF you export anything from Lightroom Classic, it's got an embedded profile. Somewhere else in the upload path, it might be stripped but again, on your phone, in Apple "Photos" and many color-managed applications, untagged is assumed to be sRGB. So the 'advise' that you look at what comes out of Lightroom Classic untagged (is not possible) or in sRGB isn't the issue here. 

Here is an untagged color reference image in sRGB:
http://digitaldog.net/files/sRGBUntagged.tif

Download the TIFF. Open it in Safari on your phone, import into Photos on your iPhone or Macbook etc. How does this look and if off a lot, where? 

[Bob_Hallam]

Hey John Paul,  To calibrate your monitor I recommend you have your display in a dim environment without a window light.  That the overhead lights be 5000 kelvin (daylight balanced) and not LED which has a problem with light at 470nm or Aqua green.   Window light will change colors throughout the day and that will affect your color adaptation and thus your perception of the display's color accuracy.  The display should be the brightest light in the room.   Then use a monitor calibration tool, such as this one by DataColor To calibrate your iPhone display you can use this method.   but do this after you do your main monitor so you have a visual reference standard.  

[TheDigitalDog]

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@John Paul Decker wrote:

Is this just due to the display capabilities on the new device? Do I really need to edit elsewhere in order to edit in a way that reflects how the images will look on most devices that people view content on?

Looking for a solution to have the images I edit on my laptop look identical when I transfer them to a phone.

---

You cannot control how others see your images on the web (or elsewhere). Yes, saving as sRGB is a good start but you have no control over others who may or may not be using color managed applications (without, sRGB is meaningless), if or how they calibrate their displays, etc. The best you can do is control your images on your end using color management. 
See:

sRGB urban legend & myths Part 2
In this 17 minute video, I'll discuss some more sRGB misinformation and cover:
When to use sRGB and what to expect on the web and mobile devices
How sRGB doesn't insure a visual match without color management, how to check
The downsides of an all sRGB workflow sRGB's color gamut vs. "professional" output devices
The future of sRGB and wide gamut display technology
Photo print labs that demand sRGB for output
High resolution: http://digitaldog.net/files/sRGBMythsPart2.mp4
Low resolution on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyvVUL1gWV

[Bob_Hallam]

If your images have embedded profiles then the only way you can achieve your goal of a closer visual match on both devices is to make sure both display ms are profiles and both display profiles are used.  But this only provides a best possible match and everyone's results will vary.  That's normal in the wild where color managed workflows are few and far between 

[TheDigitalDog]

Both displays can be ideally calibrated and the untagged sRGB documents will preview identically. Because untagged documents are treated as sRGB. I'm not advocating untagged image data: ever. 

The OPs issue has nothing to do with untagged images due to that fact and the fact one CAN NOT export untagged anything from Lightroom!

[TheDigitalDog]

John Paul...

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212851

Every MacBook Pro with Liquid Retina XDR display undergoes a state-of-the-art factory display calibration process on the assembly line to ensure the accuracy of the P3 wide color panel and the individual backlight LEDs. In addition, the factory calibration process enables sophisticated built-in algorithms to accurately reproduce a variety of color spaces used by media workflows today, including sRGB, BT.601, BT.709,​ and even P3-ST.2084 (HDR).

The same is true of your iPhone. 

As to the reported mismatch, I hope we can still get to a solution for you. 

[Bob_Hallam]

Factory calibration assumes the monitor white point is the users adapted white, and there is no dual adaption.  In the OP's use case, he may be dual-adapted, (iPhone display white and backlight as well as the Display white point) After calibrating the iPhone to the Macbook display that may be reduced, but it may take a few rounds of adjustment.   Make sure that TrueTone is turned off in Display settings.  So far at least this setting is more experimental than useful.  Also, make sure the iPhone settings for TrueTone are turned off prior to any adjustment.    Just doing that may bring both displays to a closer match.  

[TheDigitalDog]

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@Bob_Hallam wrote:

Factory calibration assumes the monitor white point is the users adapted white, and there is no dual adaption. 

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 "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."-Carl Sagan

So now it's not untagged sRGB? Happy to see we are past that onto calibration assumptions that cause “images become quite dull, washed out, low contrast”. 😝

Did you read what the OP started about True Tone, Night Shift???

[Bob_Hallam]

Very basic color science Andrew.  You can learn about the effects of chromatic adaption here or  here  

[TheDigitalDog]

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@Bob_Hallam wrote:

Very basic color science Andrew.  You can learn about the effects of chromatic adaption here or  here  

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"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" -H. L. Mencken

[John Paul Decker]

Ultimately, all of these are kind of beating around the issue and question.

I do not wish to callibrate my phone alter how I am seeing the image - I want my phone to remain factory since probably >99% of people do not calibrate the color of their device when viewing an image / scrolling instagram. Altering my color on my device will only create further divide between what I am editing vs. what others are viewing. I am only looking for a solution to match my laptop display to default iPhone 11. The original question is if it's possible that this display has a greater depth and level of contrast that is just not achievable on a phone, therefore it is not a matter of calibrating, just an inevitable difference in quality of display.

[Bob_Hallam]

Contrast adjustment is a function of calibration.  There is nothing in the use case you have that is normal to something Apple has designed its products to do.  So adjustment is the only way to achieve your goal.   You are correct that each display is inherently different.  That is a normal constant in color-managed workflows that people overcome with calibration.  I work at a very large company that has many color-managed displays, all in light-controlled areas and all calibrated to match the same standard.  It works because the expectation is that each display is inherently different that another possibly a newer or older display with slightly different technology.  Today there are 4 different displays in my workflows... So if you ask a question in this forum it is assumed the question is looking for a color management solution.    Calibrating the displays in your workflow will provide the result you request.  

[TheDigitalDog]

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@John Paul Decker wrote:

Ultimately, all of these are kind of beating around the issue and question.

I do not wish to callibrate my phone alter how I am seeing the image - I want my phone to remain factory since probably >99% of people do not calibrate the color of their device when viewing an image / scrolling instagram. 

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I agree John Paul you're being chased down a rabbit hole of color management opacity. 

Let's try one more thing and move on if you are open to it:

Download this color reference image:

http://www.digitaldog.net/files/2014PrinterTestFileFlat.tif.zip

Unzip, and import into Lightroom. It is tagged. 

In Lightroom, export it as sRGB, Adobe RGB (1998), and ProPhoto RGB so you now have three exported images in three color spaces. 

View them on the Macbook at 100% zoom (1:1) in Lightroom, ideally in Develop. If you have Photoshop, view them there as well. 

View on the iPhone if possible, same zoom ratio. This can be done in Photos or even Safari, both color-managed. 

Does one appear different from the others, do they all appear quite dull, washed out, and low contrast (or just sRGB)?

[Bob_Hallam]

No one is "chasing anyone down a rabbit hole" just basic 101 color management Andrew.   You continue to slander me as is your style, but I will continue to help regardless of your habitual rudeness.  

[TheDigitalDog]

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@Bob_Hallam wrote:

You can learn about the effects of chromatic adaption here or  here  

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Or here: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30928577269 🤔

[NB, colourmanagement]

John, iPad [and iPhone] factory calibration is pretty reliable, they are quite consistent - of course brightness is very adjustable. 

IF your main computer screen is correctly calibrated and profiled and if you save images with the sRGB ICC profile embedded they should reproduce well on. the iOS device. My iPhone X matches my calibrated Eizo Coloredge screen very well. 

Here's an Adobe RGB image to try on the computer - and a version for the 1Pad / iPhone (view in Safari)

With all set up correctly on your computer, these should match well

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer:: co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management

[orangecolastar]

I have the same problems with my iphone 11!!! I don't like the display! it's worse than my previous iphone xs. it looks washed out, more yellow than orange. 

[NB, colourmanagement]

@orangecolastar please go here and download the Adobe RGB testimage: https://www.colourmanagement.net/downloads_listing/

open it in Photoshop

Now open this link on your iPhone 

https://tinyurl.com/mobiletestimage-jpg

are they close in appearance ?

I hope this helps

neil barstow colourmanagement - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colourmanagement online

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