Can't preview CMYK colors?

[Digu6220]

I feel like an idiot, but I've tried so many things and can't find any answers online. Maybe I'm just using all the wrong keywords. I'm using Photoshop CC 2018.

I have a file that I designed in RGB, and then converted to CMYK. When I converted the color profile, none of the colors in the image changed — but when I export the image, it uploads with completely skewed colors. I understand that I'm using colors that aren't available in CMYK, but I can't adjust my design unless I can actually SEE what it looks like in CMYK while I work (rather than guessing, exporting, and repeating until it looks right.) I've converted files from RGB to CMYK before and the colors usually change in my display. I can't figure out why it's still previewing non-CMYK colors even when I'm using a CMYK color profile.

Things I've tried (which didn't help):

• restarting Photoshop
• converting back to RGB and then back to CMYK
• creating a new document with the same colors and converting that back and forth
• resetting my workspace

Thanks ahead of time for any help!

[Mike_Gondek]

Can we please see your export settings & your edit >> assign profile settings. We do not even know what file format you are exporting to, so you question is lacking critical information that we need to be able to respond.

Do nto go back and forth between RGB & CMYK, you want to do that only once to avoid throwing out color detail.

[Digu6220]

Here's my edit >> assign profile screen. I'm just saving out as a JPG for the export:

I have seen absolutely no change when switching between the color profiles, and would not do it repeatedly if I weren't trying to identify a problem.

[rob day · Accepted solution]

but when I export the image, it uploads with completely skewed colors.

By upload do you mean you are viewing in a browser? What OS and browser—not all browsers or apps will correctly color manage CMYK.

[Digu6220]

My first response to this was to clarify that I'm not concerned about the upload, I'm concerned about seeing CMYK-capable colors in my software, but your response made me realize that I was assuming that the color changes in my social media uploads were somehow "correct" CMYK colors. I grabbed a color I knew wasn't available in CMYK, lime green, and added it to my image — and realized that it IS displaying my colors in CMYK in my software after all. Now I definitely feel dumb, haha. Thank you for solving my problem, even in a roundabout way.

[rob day]

Right, any social media sites or apps would have potential color management problems and would not likely soft proof CMYK correctly. How is the printing being done? Are you delivering to an online printer? How are you deciding on what CMYK destination profile to use—has the printer suggested one?

[Mike_Gondek]

jpeg is the wrong format for anything CMYK Forget that you can even do that..

1. jpeg is a lossy format that compresses colors
2. software is not  written to be compatible  with JPEG CMYK, nobody spends time coding for this because there is no workflow where anyone uses CMYK & Jpeg in a professional environment. That is why Illustrator used to crash if you placed a JPEG CMYK or many rips stall crash if you try to print.

Not sure if your need is stronger need for color accuracy , or  ease of usage such as everyone having access to the software to view the images.

Adobe Photoshop should really turn off the ability to save jpegs form cmyk files as people just get themselves into trouble being able to do that.

[rob day]

software is not  written to be compatible  with JPEG CMYK, nobody spends time coding for this because there is no workflow where anyone uses CMYK & Jpeg in a professional environment.

I don't know about that. JPEG can be color managed like any other format. Assuming a high enough quality setting, you wouldn't see any color shift or compression artifacts in print.

The OP's problem is the web app’s or browsers may not be capable of color managing the preview.

And if you place another format like PSD into an InDesign page layout and export using the default PDF/X-4 preset with a CMYK destination, the placed PSDs will become CMYK JPEGs in the exported PDF. The default PDF/X-4 export, compression is set to Automatic JPEG with Maximum Compression.

[D Fosse]

Jpeg has a lot of shortcomings, but CMYK isn't one of them.

However, a lot of applications, including web browsers, lack CMYK support. Images may display, but with random colors.