Help! Colours change when downloading or exporting images

[egp1]

Help! When I export a photograph from Lightroom, or even download a photo that has been sent to me, at some point during the exporting/downloading process the colours become cooler and it's particularly noticeable on skintones.  I've attached an example. On the right is what I have been sent, and on the left is what it changes to when I download. 

Is anyone able to help with why this might be? I calibrate my monitor so it should be consistent.  Thanks in advance. 

[Mylenium]

Well, but do you actually manage your colors? Just calibrating your screen could still be totally meaningless if your color proof settings are not set accordingly. Conversely, since you speak of "downloading", your images would presumably not be tweaked or tagged to a specific color profile to begin with and you may need to figure that into the equation. Of course they will then look completely different in an unmanaged environment outside PS vs. inside the program.

Mylenium

[emmag36471633]

Hi Mylenium,

What you're saying definitely makes sense and I need to check this. Where would I start with managing my colours, as it's quite possible that my colour proof settings aren't set accordingly. This appears to be a new problem for me, but I could have changed something without realising. Thank you for your help. 

[D Fosse]

Always embed the color profile when you save. Always check whether a profile is embedded when you receive a file. An untagged file (one without a color profile) displays arbitrarily depending on circumstances. The profile removes this uncertainty.

Always view the image in a color managed application. Photoshop and Lightroom are, and they will use both the document profile and your monitor profile to display the file correctly. Other applications without color management, like e.g. Windows "Photos" or most consumer-oriented photo viewers, will not display correctly.

[egp1]

Thank you.

So when I export my edited image from Lightroom as a high res jpg then view it through my laptop, it's much greyer. If I then print this image, it also has the greyer colours rather than my edits in Lightroom. It basically looks like it's uncalibrated, though it is. I always make sure that the colour space is SRGB when I export.  Is there any way to avoid this, or do I just need to overcompensate in LR? It feels like all my editing work is wasted 😞 

How can I check if a profile is embedded when I receive a file? 

Thanks again - I appreciate the response 🙂

And