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Mica M.
Mica M.
Inspiring
November 24, 2022
Answered

Stumped: screenshots paste with different colours

  • November 24, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 6560 views

Background

I create books and lesson material for Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and more. I create and combine screenshots from any of these to combine the steps in a Photoshop file, which I then use to output high resolution PNG's.

The colours used are brand colours that look the same in CMYK and RGB, and these colours are used in Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Office applications because consistency is key.

Always worked like a charm.

 

Colour settings

All applications are synchronised via Bridge to use sRGB for RGB and Fogra39 for CMYK.
The screen uses sRGB.
I tested this with AppleRGB as well but this doesn't help.

 

Screenshot application

I used different ones to test this such as Snip & Sketch and FastStone Capture. The result is the same: they show the colours as they are in the Illustrator file.

 

Workflow

I will use creating an Illustrator tutorial as an example.

I 'do something' such as selecting an anchor point.

I take a screenshot of this.

The screenshot colours are a perfect match with the colours in Illustrator.

I copy the screenshot and paste it in Photoshop > the colours are different.

Using CMYK or RGB for the Illustrator file doesn't change a thing: the screenshot looks fine but it's the output in Photoshop that's wrong. But the strange thing is that if I paste the screenshot back in Illustrator, no matter if the Illustrator file is in RGB or CMYK, the colours are wrong as well.

 

Extra test:
pasting the artwork from Illustrator and pasting in Photoshop and vice versa

This goes fine and the colours are respected. They are the exact same colours as in Illustrator.

Copying pixels in Photoshop and pasting them in Illustator also results in the exact same colours.

 

Extra weirdness: colours become increasingly dark

If I take a screenshot of the original artwork with a portion of the screenshot (with the darker colours) and paste that new screenshot the colours become even darker.

 

I think some strange conversion is taking place when the screenshots are created. Maybe the screenshots in all editors are using a different profile but since sRGB is used system wide I doubt that. I seem to recall there was an option to 'desaturate colours' somewhere but where, and what for? Long time ago.
It's been such a long time since I moved to a different machine and had to jump through all the settings hoops that I might have missed something. I would really like to solve this, help is appreciated.

 

I attach the screenshot of the original shapes plus the screenshots that I pasted into this Illustrator file. The same happens when I paste in Photoshop (and InDesign).

 

      This topic has been closed for replies.
      Correct answer Mica M.

      Thanks both.

      First off: a typo! I typed 'Apple RGB' but meant 'Adobe RGB'.

       

      @Monika Gause

      The having to open them to edit/use them is why I copy the screenshot in the screenshot editor itself; it saves a LOT of time and hassle 😊

      I take the screenshot which is opened in the editor.

      I hit 'Ctrl-c', 'Alt-F4' to close it, keep holding 'Alt' while I'm at it and add 'Tab' to go to Photoshop, and paste. I like to work fast and this is the most efficient; I don't have the hassle of having to save the files and then open them.

       

      @TheDigitalDog

      Not one of the screenshot/capture editor I use has the option to assign a colour profile. This was never necessary either. The screenshot looks fine but then keeps pasting darker and darker colours, which is absolutely strange.

       

      I decided to try something because for some reason Photoshop (et al) might be assuming the colours had to be converted and I was not asked.

      In the 'Color Settings' the 'Color Management Policies' were set to 'Ask' for both 'Ask When Opening' and 'Ask When Pasting'.

      'Missing Profiles' is set to 'Ask When Opening'.

      So, this should work but did not.

      I unchecked all 'Ask' options. This meant I should not get any warnings but I didn't get them anyway, so.

      I pasted, and got a question if I wanted to convert the colours or not. This was strange since all was unchecked. But hey. I pasted and the colours were fine. I then did the same in Illustrator. Disabling all 'Ask' options. Worked fine too.

      I then enabled 'Ask When Pasting' again and was asked if I wanted to convert (and preserve the appearance). Great! The colours are still fine.

       

      Maybe something was messed up or for some reason the color settings had not been properly been enabled via Bridge? That the software for some reason decided all colours had to not be converted which resulted in different colours? I am baffled, I must say. Glad that it works again, too. But intrigued.

      I have X-Rite Calibrator installed and thought maybe this was messing with the settings. But this too was set to use the same profile and this should not affect the screenshot editor anyway. I have never seen this in over 30 years of using Adobe software 😂 There is a first for everything.

      2 replies

      TheDigitalDog
      TheDigitalDog
      Inspiring
      November 24, 2022

      For any screen capture, you must Assign the display profile to that document first and foremost! Then you can convert to sRGB or whatever you want. It doesn't matter that you may have a so called 'sRGB' display (you actually do not, that's simply the color gamut and not the full descriptor of the display color space). 

      If you assign, then convert as described, at least for me (on Mac), screen capture match Photoshop and all other color-managed applications identically. 

      Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
        Mica M.
        Mica M.AuthorCorrect answer
        Inspiring
        November 24, 2022

        Thanks both.

        First off: a typo! I typed 'Apple RGB' but meant 'Adobe RGB'.

         

        @Monika Gause

        The having to open them to edit/use them is why I copy the screenshot in the screenshot editor itself; it saves a LOT of time and hassle 😊

        I take the screenshot which is opened in the editor.

        I hit 'Ctrl-c', 'Alt-F4' to close it, keep holding 'Alt' while I'm at it and add 'Tab' to go to Photoshop, and paste. I like to work fast and this is the most efficient; I don't have the hassle of having to save the files and then open them.

         

        @TheDigitalDog

        Not one of the screenshot/capture editor I use has the option to assign a colour profile. This was never necessary either. The screenshot looks fine but then keeps pasting darker and darker colours, which is absolutely strange.

         

        I decided to try something because for some reason Photoshop (et al) might be assuming the colours had to be converted and I was not asked.

        In the 'Color Settings' the 'Color Management Policies' were set to 'Ask' for both 'Ask When Opening' and 'Ask When Pasting'.

        'Missing Profiles' is set to 'Ask When Opening'.

        So, this should work but did not.

        I unchecked all 'Ask' options. This meant I should not get any warnings but I didn't get them anyway, so.

        I pasted, and got a question if I wanted to convert the colours or not. This was strange since all was unchecked. But hey. I pasted and the colours were fine. I then did the same in Illustrator. Disabling all 'Ask' options. Worked fine too.

        I then enabled 'Ask When Pasting' again and was asked if I wanted to convert (and preserve the appearance). Great! The colours are still fine.

         

        Maybe something was messed up or for some reason the color settings had not been properly been enabled via Bridge? That the software for some reason decided all colours had to not be converted which resulted in different colours? I am baffled, I must say. Glad that it works again, too. But intrigued.

        I have X-Rite Calibrator installed and thought maybe this was messing with the settings. But this too was set to use the same profile and this should not affect the screenshot editor anyway. I have never seen this in over 30 years of using Adobe software 😂 There is a first for everything.

          TheDigitalDog
          TheDigitalDog
          Inspiring
          November 24, 2022

          None of my screen capture utilities on Mac assign a profile either. But it must be done. Untagged data is RGB mystery meat and a profile is needed to define the color numbers. 

          On my Mac, I can make a script to do this automatically. Short of this step, you'll still have to do this, it can be done in Photoshop or course (Assign Profile command). Maybe someone Windows savvy can come up with a script solution on that OS for you. 

          You could setup your PS color settings to automate this too. 

          As for Color Settings, have all check boxes (mismatch, missing, pasting) set for ON. 

          More details here:

          See: Photoshop CC Color Settings and Assign/Convert to Profile video
          http://digitaldog.net/files/PhotoshopColorSettings.mp4

          The x-Rite product has nothing to do, nor any control over these settings. 

          Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
            Monika Gause
            Monika Gause
            Community Expert
            November 24, 2022

            Sorry, I don't understand what you are doing there. Copy-pasting screenshots?

            I'm working with lots of screenshots. They are saved to my desktop. To edit them I have to open them.

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