Stumped: screenshots paste with different colours

[Mica M.]

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).

[Monika Gause]

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.

[TheDigitalDog]

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. 

[Mica M. · Accepted solution]

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]

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. 

[Mica M.]

Thanks @TheDigitalDog, but I am aware of all this. That's why I finally went to this community, I thought I had overlooked something.

All is well now after unchecking all the boxes, then rechecking them again. I think Photoshop and Illustrator, via the colour settings, had assumed the colours should not retain their appearance. Strange, but there it is!

I thought it would be odd if X-Rite had something to do with it but I was so baffled (still am a bit confused at what caused it) that I thought this was the only thing that was 'different' and that it might have adjusted a display setting which I could not see.

It all works now. The colours are again faithfully pasted and keep their appearance, victory! Onward!

[NB, colourmanagement]

A screen capture is effectively in Monitor / Display RGB colourspace, if the profile is not embedded (it usually isn't) In Photoshop, you must Assign the display profile to that document! Then you can convert to Adobe RGB, sRGB or whatever colourspace you need.

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

[salpilk]

Hi, I am having the same issue of colours fading when I take a screengrab and paste it into indesign.

Mica M -

It sounds like you found a solution, but what was it exactly - you mention "All is well now after unchecking all the boxes, then rechecking them again." can you clarify how you fixed this?

Many thanks!

[TheDigitalDog]

Hi, I am having the same issue of colours fading when I take a screengrab and paste it into indesign.

By @salpilk

Assign the display profile to the screen capture, and convert to sRGB in Photoshop; problem fixed. 

[salpilk]

Hi


Thanks for your reply.

I would like to just be able to screen grab (Windows+shift+s) and then
paste directly in indesign without color fading issues. Is this possible?
Saving the image and having to change settings in photoshop is a very
clunky workflow!

Thanks

[D Fosse]

You're missing the point.

A screenshot is not in the original document color space. The screenshot is in monitor color space. It has already been converted into your monitor profile, but that profile is not embedded.

Color management 101 is that in different color spaces, the same numbers produce different colors, and the same visual color will yield different numbers.

This has nothing to do with workflows in Photoshop or InDesign or any other application. It has to do with what a color space is.

Color management and icc profiles isn't the problem here. It is the solution to this problem.

If the extra step bothers you, make a simple action for it, triggered by an F-key, as I have:

Note that "toggle dialog" is on for the assign profile step. This lets me choose whatever monitor profile I have active at the moment.

[TheDigitalDog]

HiThanks for your reply.I would like to just be able to screen grab (Windows+shift+s) and thenpaste directly in indesign without color fading issues. Is this possible?Saving the image and having to change settings in photoshop is a veryclunky workflow!Thanks
By @salpilk

You can't!