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J
Jens F
Participant
August 21, 2025
Question

RGB Smart Objekt in CMKY Picture

  • August 21, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 218 views

Hello,

We have a problem with a CMYK compositing file that contains an RGB Smart Object.

The delivered image is in "Coated Fogra 39 L."

It contains a Smart Object. When I open it, I see that it's eciRGB V2. The profile is embedded, and my RGB working color space is also eciRGB V2.

However, the opened Smart Object looks different in color and doesn't match the composition. If I change something in the Smart Object, e.g., create an empty layer, the colors in the composition change. Even if I don't open the Smart Object at all, but just scale it slightly, the colors change. As soon as the Smart Object is recalculated, the colors change. Unfortunately, rasterizing the Smart Object isn't an option for us.

Unfortunately, I can't find the reason for this behavior.

 

Our customer, who created and delivered the image, doesn't have this problem.

 

At first I thought it was an error or bug in the image, but I don't think so anymore.

2 replies

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 21, 2025

@Jens F 

 

Assuming this is an embedded smart object, what happens if you duplicate the document for safety, then use Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Linked...

 

Does the colour appearance change?

J
Jens FAuthor
Participant
August 22, 2025

Unfortunately, that didn't help either

D Fosse
Community Expert
D FosseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 22, 2025

To me it's starting to look like a problem with layer compositing, which, as I understand it, is executed in the GPU. Try to disable "use graphics processor" in settings/preferences and try again.

 

There is also another checkbox there to disable "multithreaded compositing". Try that too.

    D Fosse
    Community Expert
    D FosseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 21, 2025

    I can't explain this, but to clarify in case someone can:

     

    The colors change in the master file when you make these small changes? not in the embedded RGB child document?

     

    Just a hunch, but it seems to me the problem is the CMYK component in this equation. Can you show a cropped screenshot without revealing anything proprietary?

     

    Can you make an equivalent file yourself using these color spaces? Does it happen there?

      J
      Jens FAuthor
      Participant
      August 21, 2025
      Yes, the colors change in the master file, not in the embedded Smart Object.
I can open the image, but as soon as I make changes to the Smart Object, the color in the master document changes.
When I open the Smart Object, it immediately looks darker than the master.
The master document is lighter, the Smart Object darker.
It somehow looks as if the Smart Object in the composition isn't up to date or doesn't have the latest version of the Smart Object.
Sort of like an outdated link.
But it's an embedded Smart Object.

The problem is: the client wants it to match the color of the master file.
I can open the master, but as soon as I touch the Smart Object, the colors change.
I'll try to reproduce the problem again later.


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