Colors appear different after saving or exporting (indesign and photoshop)

[olmob96980555]

Dear people :")

I have this one problem and it's driving me mad. 

It has to do with color. When I create something in photoshop (anything). And save it as, for example, jpg. The jpg file has way other colors when I open it on the same screen. Also, when I create a file in Indesign and export it as .pdf, the pdf color is the same. But when I open that pdf in let's say outlook mail or an online pdf reader. It appears way different again. 

Example in photoshop. (left) and the file opened after saved as jpg (right)

And here the Indesign work file (left) and the pdf in outlook (right) 

https://i.imgur.com/krsLk6k.png

I can't really say when it all started. It could have to do with a new pc. Or reinstallation of the cc apps. I've worked with an Adobe subscription for pretty long now. And always used the newest software. I never really had this issue. Only just noticed it when clients started to say its too bright. (maybe helpfull, everything appears brighter outside of the adobe programs.)

To follow that up: 
Indesign: V14.0.3 x 64

Photoshop: V20.0.6 Release

I work on RGB in photoshop, 8 bit, see here some screens that might be important. 

https://i.imgur.com/rh4nnDZ.png

and in CMYK in Indesign, also the color settings. 

Export settings are vanilla, I didn't change color settings there: 

Photoshop:

InDesign:

I have no idea what to do anymore. 🙂

preferably I just want to work in the same colors that appear when I save as jpg or export as pdf or anything else. 

Thank you in advance. 

[Papagordo]

It seems as though you are describing two issues here ... one being a Photoshop Color issue when saving files out as rasterized JPGs and the other being an issue with CMYK vector color created in InDesign not staying the same when viewed in another program after being exported as a PDF. Is that correct? Or, are you trying to match something created in Photoshop that is put into InDesign then exported out to PDF?

[olmob96980555]

Hi mate,

Yes, apologies, it is two separate issues. But since they are basically the same (colors did not show right) I thought they might be linked.

[Papagordo]

You should ensure that your are exporting your photoshop to JPG with a color profile attached to it. I don't beleive that is happening with your current method. Are you setting the color settings options in Photoshop? In the menu under Edit-Color Settings, or you can press Shift-Ctr-K to get to it. Make sure your Working Spaces, Color Management Policies and other settings are set correctly there. It could make a difference with your export to JPG. Also, try using the Export-Save for Web(Legacy) option as it gives you a few more color settings there when coverting to JPG.

[olmob96980555]

Both things don't work. 
And I don't think this is the case. 

The saved files are actually good files. It is just photoshop who doesn't show it properly when I'm working on it. All tones are soft, saturation is down and blacks are not really black. 

[olmob96980555]

So to follow that up, after I save the file (and it has its brighter colors) it is shown perfectly anywhere on any pc. It is just in the software that it shows it differently, which makes my job as designer impossible. Or I have to save each time I want to check actual colors. 

[Test Screen Name]

You can give up quickly on the Outlook issue. No way it will convert CMYK accurately. And nobody cares because CMYK is a print-only colour format.  This is expected. People care about RGB a lot, RGB issues are sometimes fixable but often not. Mainly depends on your monitor model. What is that and did you change it?

[olmob96980555]

Hi,

I got new monitors with my new pc. 2 of them both HP. 

In the device manager, it says HP 27f Display. 

Both connected to my Nvidia card. 

But its on the same monitor when it shows different in photoshop before and after saving. 

[Test Screen Name]

Ok, this is something specific I'm sure we can fix. When you save something from Photoshop, and later open it in Photoshop, it should look the same (except for JPEG damage, of course, but that isn't a change to colors). Please post screen shots showing all the options you choose when saving the file, with luck it's something quite simple.

[olmob96980555]

Hi! Thank you for being optimistic C:

Its slowly driving me mad. 

When I work in photoshop, save it as .psd, and then open it, it all shows the same. (but it's not jpg) 

When I work in photoshop, save it as .jpg, then reopen that jpg in photoshop, it does what I explain. In photoshop it just looks weird and vague. and when I open the jpg in let's say image explorer or whatever standard. It shows it bright. I've checked it on mobile and on clients' computers. And made the same image on another pc. That's all perfect. So photoshop actually saves it the right way. It just doesn't show me the right colors as long as it's opened in actual photoshop. 

I hope it makes sense. 

I can make print screens from the saving process. But it is literally just saved as jpg. I only get this screen. : 

https://i.imgur.com/NM8WDuh.png

Also when I try to save it in another way. Let's say, save for web (legacy) or any other option. It does the same. It saves it as the bright (good) version while showing me the vague version in photoshop. 

SO I ran some tests 

And the image (or screen, how you wanna call it) in photoshop, shows everything with exactly 20 saturation less. 

So all saved and exported files have 20 saturation more than when I work in it. 

I have the feeling it has to do with some simple settings. That makes my workspace in proof colors, a different color profile or something like that. But I can't seem to find it. All proof color options are off, or default.  :c

[Test Screen Name]

Thank you for sharing the JPEG options. They are important, but don't affect colour. The options that apply when you save a JPEG this way are on the Save As screen itself:

Please share this screen.

Also, do you get any messages about colour when you re-open the JPEG in Photoshop? Please share them too.

[olmob96980555]

Its saving it like this;

I don't get color messages, not when I open a new file in PS and then drag an image in it, as well as opening a jpg with photoshop. 

Thankyou 🙂

[rob day]

If you are converting the RGB color to CMYK during the export from InDesign, that could explain why your client is seeing the color saturated in an app that isn’t color managed.

[rob day]

Here's a US Web SWOP CMYK file in the Chrome browser where the profile has been stripped:

 

 

[rob day · Accepted solution]

I never really had this issue. Only just noticed it when clients started to say its too bright.

If you are delivering the PDF with CMYK color for an online review, your PDF would have to include all color profiles and the client would have to be viewing in a color managed app—even in a color managed application a print ready CMYK PDF with color with no embedded CMYK profile would not necessarily preview correctly.

If the client is not in a color managed environment, and the PDF is only for screen review then a solution would be to convert all color to sRGB on export, and export a separate PDF for print using a PDF/X preset. The Export>Output tab would be this:

Also, in your first post you have Monitor RGB as the Proof Setup. Proof Colors is for soft proofing to an output device, so you should never have the setup be a display class RGB profile—you only need Proof Colors to preview how the color will be brought into gamut for print without actually making a conversion (i.e. a CMYK output profile).

[olmob96980555]

Thank you very much, I will look into this and check if it fixes the problem!

[r22403928rdt2]

I have exactly the same problem. Working in PS or Lightoroom and the colours look different then the exported any format file when I open them with Irfanview or any other software or upload them to the web. I don`t understand why but it is a real pain. I don`t think it is any king of rgb or colour set up as I have never changed any, Even a black and white shot when I`m editing looks sepia and after editing it is black and white as it should be.

Did you manage to find a solution for your problem?