P: Batch saving PNGs no longer keep color profile embedded

Report · Mar 24, 2023

Photoshop versions past 24.0.1, including the latest 24.3, are breaking my Actions and Scripts that batch save PNGs (Save as a copy) that are supposed to keep the color profiles embedded. Each time I run an action or script, the first PNG keeps the color profile embedded, but all subsequent PNGs save out "untagged".

One weird exception: I have one Action which saves out a PSD and PNG from each file with color profiles embedded. The original action saved out the PSDs first and then the PNGs. This was the first time I noticed the bug. I tried switching the order in the action to save out the PNGs first, then the PSDs, and the bug no longer occurred. Not sure why, but I wanted to pass that along.

All other scripts which save out (not export) PNGs have this bug. We cannot update until this gets fixed.

Report · Sep 08, 2023

Just got confirmation from a friend that this bug is happening on Windows as well. Thanks @CShubert and @tom attix for your attention to this!

Report · Sep 10, 2023

Until now this bug not fixes! this is very annoying. Because you have to save PNG manually, and checked the ICC Profile!

Report · Sep 13, 2023

Just updated to Photoshop 2024 (v25.0.0) today. It looks like this may now be fixed.

Report · Sep 13, 2023

I tested as well, and it is not fixed on my end. Can you try it again? The "Embed Color Profile" still does not stick after runing a batch of saving out PNGs, even after manually checking the box on the first PNG saved.

Report · Sep 13, 2023

I tried both the minor update 24.7.1 and the major one 25.0.0, and both still have the bug. Even if you check the color profile box on your first manual PNG save, when you run a batch with an action that just saves out PNGs, the first PNG saved out in the batch DOES have the color profile embedded (as has always been the case for me) but each subsequent PNG saved out (assuming you are running the batch action on more than one file) has a missing color profile. I assume the Adobe team already had these updates "in the can" so to speak and did not have time to fix this in the newest updates yet.

Report · Sep 13, 2023

Nevermind, after further testing I'm getting the same behavior as v24.7.1. Strangely, when I noticed v25 was installed I launched it and immediately ran a batch, using the same test folders I've been using, to export some TIFF files to PNG. All of the PNG files included the embedded ICC profile. I thought it was possibly fixed. I then went to another machine, that didn't yet have v25, and manually initiated the update. One updated I did the same batch test on that machine and got the same results as v24.7.1 - the first PNG saved included the profile but the subsequent ones did not. Then I went back to the first machine and tried again. In between, Photoshop had been quit and relaunched for what it's worth. Sadly, it was now back tot the previous, incorrect behavior. For some reason I got one good batch, but ultimately the problem remains. I though it may be too good to be true. I couldn't imagine that something discussed on here just a few days ago was already in the release, unless the deverlopers were already working on it, which it seems is not the case.

Report · Sep 14, 2023

Here's some additional commentary on this matter from the Photoshop scripting community.

Re: Jsx Save as PNG With Embedded Color Profile - Adobe Support Community - 13954786

It seems this has been an ongoing problem for some time. Adobe, what do you say we get this fixed once and for all?

On the plus side, it looks like there is a workaround, with some caveats. You can replace the Save As step in your action with a Export > Save for Web (Legacy) step. This will reliably retain the embedded ICC profile if Embed Color Profile is selected. Depending on your file naming requirements you may also need to adjust the Output Settings > Saving Files settings for File Naming and Filename Compatibility. The down side is that you can't dynamically select the output directory for batch operations since there is no Save or Save As step in the action. The output directory is hard coded in the Export action step. Not the end of the world but an inconvenience as you would have to direct all output to a common folder and them manually move the files after processing.

Report · Sep 14, 2023

One more thing in reply to @tom attix from the other day. Tom mentioned "I tried BTA-1138's action with show dialogs on and all of my PNG saves had the checkbox marked."

I got that behavior as well. With dialogs on, the embed profile checkbox is checked every time. The bug sufaces when dialogs are turned off however. That's when we get the behavior where the first PNG file saved includes a profile but all subsequent ones do not.

Report · Sep 14, 2023

Thanks for the additional testing @PP32138406s7ku. But, I can't use the Save for Web workarounnd. That's a totally different function and result as far as I'm concerned. I need to be able to save out PNGs at higher than 72ppi or with at 16bpc encoding per client's rules, and SFW won't do that. And per Tom's suggestion, I also can't turn dialogs on as that defeats the purpose for quickly automating batch saves if you have to manually hit the Save button each time on a dialogue box. And yes, this issue has been going on for awhile, since version 24.2. Here's hoping it's an easy fix for Adobe.

Report · Oct 09, 2023

Adding more to this issue :

In UXP, I run in a folder to save all images to png, and the first image is applying the icc profile and including it in the png, but the others png doesn't include it.

I tried to force conversion with :

await document.convertProfile(PNG_PROFILE, constants.Intent.PERCEPTUAL, undefined, undefined);
await document.saveAs.png(newFile, {"compression": PNG_QUALITY, "method": "QUICK"}, true);

but the issue is still here : first PNG includes the icc profile and others don't.

I know this is not the dev forums, but it's adding a detail to the overall issue !

That's why I fall on this topic.

Windows 11

Photoshop 25.0.0

Report · Oct 12, 2023

Lol, adobe developers is too lazy to fix this bug. Another bug is hand tool presistent. Still not fixed. Lol

Report · Oct 24, 2023

Hi @CShubert, has there been any movement on this issue from your team? I just tested the latest updates for 2023 (v24.7.1) and 2024 (v25.0), and this issue still persists in both.

Report · Dec 05, 2023

Is there any update to this topic? I use actions for work to output final versions of files in different filetypes and the ICC profile needs to be attached correctly. I do this for batches of hundreds of files at a time so they cannot be saved out manually. I'm on version 25.0.0 and I've tried remaking my actions and specifically setting it to embed the current profile (Adobe 1998). When I run my batch action it saves out PNGs with no profile attached, and JPGs with the wrong profile attached (sRGB).

Report · Dec 14, 2023

Hi all,

We are happy to announce the release of Photoshop version 25.3.1 (public version), which incorporates the resolution for this particular problem. To see the list of all fixed issues, click here

To update Photoshop to 25.3.1, click "Update" in the Creative Cloud desktop app next to Photoshop. More detailed instructions for updating

Let us know if the update resolves the problem for those affected, and share your feedback.

Thanks,

Mohit

Report · Dec 15, 2023

@Mohit Goyal I have updated to 25.3.1, and unfortunately this issue still persists when running a normal batch to save out PNGs with color profile embedded. It also doesn't work on a script we wrote which includes a batch saving out PNGs with color profile embedded.

Report · Dec 15, 2023

@Mohit Goyal In addition, I see your "fixed issues" notes and it says that it has fixed the issue of "Color Profile not embedded in Save as PNG action", but it's not running an action on one file; this issue occurs ONLY when you run a BATCH on multiple files. The first PNG saved out during a batch will have the color profile embedded, but each subsequent PNG in the BATCH set will have a missing profile (untagged).

Report · Jan 10, 2024

Same here, it seems the bug has not been fixed

Report · Jan 10, 2024

I'd agree also that this still needs fixing.

Report · Jan 25, 2024

On version 25.4, this issue is still not fixed. I'm also not seeing it in the latest "Known Issues" list, so I'm hoping you guys haven't marked this as "fixed", because it is not.

Report · Feb 07, 2024

This has not yet been fixed as claimed. The profile does not get attached with BATCH png actions. First file sticks, subsequent files in batch are saved as Untagged.
Strangely, Bridge info says they contain the assigned color profile, but when opening them, they are Untagged. This is with the Preserve Enbedded Profiles to be sure PS isn't forcing it.

Report · Feb 07, 2024

This has not yet been fixed. BATCH saving PNGs typically causes the first file in the batch to have a color profile, but all subsequent files open in Photoshop as Untagged.

Report · Mar 05, 2024

Hi all,

This issue was fixed but it is possible for other workflows that there still might be another bug... please share your workflow and steps to reproduce the bug using the current Ps beta release: Adobe Photoshop Version: 25.6.0 20240304.m.2534 50644ba arm64 so we can reproduce and verify. Any screenshots or videos will help the team to get right to the issue and are very helpful.

Thanks,

Cory - Photoshop Product Manager

Report · Mar 06, 2024

Now, when using a batch (UXP scripting), even the first file doesn't contains the embeded profile anymore. Indeed, it has been fixed : No embeded profile for any PNG file now.
Accordingly to the UXP doc, you can embed a profile for a JPEG output, but nothing for PNG.

I assume it's a "normal" behavior for now. But it would be nice to be able to embed profile in PNG files : it was possible some time ago.

UXP script (PSJS to launch directly) : Save_AS_PNG.psjs
It will ask to select two folders (source / destination) and will save all image file to JPEG and PNG.

Some month ago, the first PNG converted was embeding the colorprofile, not anymore.

Report · May 15, 2024

We have shipped several fixes recently. Here is what you need to do in order to take advantage of them:

1. For batching via Actions/scripts, you can use a special gestalt that forces color profile output. Put the following string into a text file called PSUserConfig.txt (and put it in the Adobe Photoshop 2024 Settings folder): BatchForcePNGColorProfile 1

Then relaunch Photoshop, go to Help > System Info... and confirm you see
PSUserConfig entries:
- U BatchForcePNGColorProfile 1

2. You may need to re-record older Actions, specifically the Save PNG step. To determine whether this applies your Action, open the Save step and look at the bottom for "With ICC Profiles". If you don't see that, you need to record the step again to include that option.

Report · Jun 16, 2024

I tried doing what Chad Rolfs suggested, but my "Save" actionstep STILl says "without ICC profiles". Horrible, being up agaist a readline of delivering thousands of files that would need to be batch processed out with profiles.