Different image between Photoshop - Indesign and Acrobat

[Aldo Oliosi]

The image in photoshop is different from indesign which instead corresponds to the generated pdf, the system is calibrated and the right profile is set, but the processed images are different. The suite is properly connected and synchronized, I don't understand what the problem could be. Do you have any information about it? Thank you

[Per Berntsen]

As far as I can tell from the screenshot, Photoshop and Indesign display identically, whereas Acrobat displays over saturated colors. I'm seeing the same thing on my wide gamut monitor (Windows) in both Acrobat DC and Reader DC.

This is caused by a bug that breaks color management. I rarely use Acrobat, and use Adobe Reader XI, which displays colors correctly, to view pdfs.

There's a bug report here https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/926812-acrobat-reader-for-windows-and-mac/suggestions/40081753-...

where you can add yor vote.

[Aldo Oliosi]

In fact I was thinking of a bug, unfortunately in letterpress printing the pdf is more correct and I can't figure out how to fix it.

[TheDigitalDog]

Without access to the original data to try in all three, it is very difficult to see what's the cause here. 

What was the original (PDF in Acrobat) that got ripped into Photoshop, ID to Acrobat, etc???

Can you upload the original to something like Dropbox and explain step by step how each iteration came about that produced the screen captures? 

[Aldo Oliosi]

I cannot share the image because it has copyright, the passage was the arrangement in photoshop and saving in CMYK with fogra39 profile, subsequent embedding in an Indesign document and saving as a high quality print pdf. The monitor has been calibrated with pantone i1display and the whole system is coordinated with Europe 3 pre-press. The problem is that the one that comes closest is the pdf document.

[Per Berntsen]

I assume that Photoshop displays correct colors, and that you want the image to print with those colors.

Does the printed output look like Photoshop or Acrobat?

The bug in Acrobat should only affect on screen display, and not the printed output.

[Aldo Oliosi]

Yes correct I would like to see the right colors on Photoshop, but the print is much closer to those of Acrobat, instead I should see both in the same way ... I'm going crazy today I spent 3 hours in typography evaluating the various settings but it seems just a Photoshop bug

[davescm]

I've also seen that issue here and reported it in UserVoice a year ago. No fix yet though.

It looks like Acrobat DC Pro is ignoring the system monitor profile and just assuming an sRGB profile (or close to it)

https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/suggestions/44373573-bug-col...

I also discussed it here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/colour-management-incorrect-in-acrobat-dc-pro/m-p...

Dave

[Per Berntsen]

Well, there is a color management bug in Acrobat, but not in Photoshop. If the bug in Acrobat was fixed, it would display identically to Photoshop, so just ignore the wrong colors in Acrobat.

Your real problem seems to be that print output doesn't match Photoshop, which it should, if you have a sound and correct monitor profile, you are using the correct CMYK profile, and the printer is doing their job properly.

To rule out a defective monitor profile, try setting it to sRGB. Close Photoshop, Indesign and Acrobat. Press the Windows key + R, type colorcpl in the box and press Enter.

Add the sRGB profile, then set it as default.

Now open the image in Photoshop. Does it display closer to the printed output now?

[davescm]

I agree Per.

The testing I did showed that the monitor problem was being ignored by Acrobat DC Pro. So no Photoshop bug but a definite Acrobat DC Pro bug

Dave

[Aldo Oliosi]

I tried to do the procedure but the result doesn't change

[Per Berntsen]

One more thing to try: Go to Edit > Preferences > Performance, uncheck Use graphics processor and click OK.

Does that make a difference?

[Aldo Oliosi]

nothing changes, I made another screen capture and copied the pdf image, this is the result

[Per Berntsen]

Everything seems to be set up correctly at your end, but we haven't seen your PDF export settings from Indesign, particularly the Output tab, which handles color conversion.

I'm no expert on this, but hopefully, somebody else will chime in.

[davescm]

Per

As I said further up this thread, this is not a settings problem between applications. It is a bug in Acrobat Pro that has been reported several times. It is mainly visible to those using wide gamut monitors. The monitor profile is ignored by Acrobat and sRGB is assumed. On a narrow gamut monitor that use of sRGB looks just about correct, on a wide gamut monitor it is a mile off.

I proved it last year by using a deliberately incorrect profile as the monitor profile set up to show false colouring. Photoshop and InDesign both used that profile and looked as you would expect with such a deliberately false profile. Acrobat did not change at all - it continued to display using an sRGB profile. So far, despite several folk reporting the issue, it has not been addressed.

https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/suggestions/44373573-bug-col...

Dave

[Per Berntsen]

Yes I know Dave, but I thought there might be a possibility that wrong export settings were used in Indesign, causing a color shift in the printed output. I do understand that the colors displayed by Acrobat are wrong, and should be ignored. 

I just updated Acrobat, but the bug has not been fixed.

[davescm]

Got you Per 🙂

That is dead right - printed output is unaffected by that bug - just the monitor display from Acrobat.

Printing from Photoshop or from Acrobat should look the same provided the same printer profile is being used and that printer profile is correct for the Printer, Ink and Paper combination in use.

Dave