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Question

How do I set sRGB as my default color space?

Forum|Forum|10 years ago
April 29, 2015
4 replies
61357 views

Im honestly tired of having to convert the files with the "edit > convert to profile" menu option. I export from LR straight to PS. I dont know if that has anything to do with it. I doubt it. I just want to be able to open all my pictures in sRGB without having to do the converting. I do save for web but if the profile is converted before hand, the colors will change.

M

mayflyaway

Known Participant

I have the same issue. By default apparently Lightroom uses the Prophoto color profile. When doing right-click | open in Photoshop, it was automatically converting it to sRGB and my colors were all off. I contacted support and they somehow made it so that when I do my right click thing it gives me the option of opening the file in the current color space.

I did not ask support how to make it just do that by default. So am wondering where I can change the setting so that it just automatically uses the same color profile that Lightroom is using.

D Fosse

Community Expert

mayflyaway wrote
So am wondering where I can change the setting so that it just automatically uses the same color profile that Lightroom is using.

You set the Lightroom default as per screenshot in post #2.

Whatever embedded profile is coming out of Lightroom will be preserved and treated correctly in Photoshop. There is no need for the color settings to match, that's a misunderstanding. Don't change anything in Photoshop's color settings. The policies should always be set to "Preserve Embedded Profiles".

If you have color inconsistencies this is not the reason. In that case, please post side by side screenshots showing where you have incorrect colors.

NB, colourmanagement

Community Expert

Preserve Embedded Profiles is the default policy in Color Settings. Just don't change it. With this setting, the working space never comes into the picture, because the embedded profile out of Lightroom will override it.

But I repeat, if you still have color inconsistencies you most likely have a bad monitor profile.

@brndnslvra Windows?

Windows display profile, display profile issues on Windows

Here's something to try

It'll only take a few minutes and is good troubleshooting.

At least once a week on this forum we read about this, or very similar issues of appearance differing between colour managed applications.

Of course you must not expect accurate colour with programs such as early versions of Windows "Photos”*, because in those early versions colour management is not implemented, so, such programs are incapable of providing accurate image display.

*Windows "Photos” does do colour management now and has for a while, but beware early versions and other apps that are non colour management compliant.

Unfortunately, with Microsoft hardware: Windows updates, Graphics Card updates and Display manufacturers have a frustratingly growing reputation for automatically installing useless (corrupted) monitor display profiles.

I CAN happen with Macs but with far less likelihood, it seems.]

The issue can affect different application programs in different ways, some not at all, some very badly.

The poor monitor display profile issue is hidden by some applications, specifically those that do not use colour management, such as Microsoft Windows "Photos".

Photoshop is correct, it’s the industry standard for viewing images, in my experience it's revealing an issue with the Monitor Display profile rather than causing it. Whatever you do, don't ignore it. As the issue isn’t caused by Photoshop, please don’t change your Photoshop ‘color settings’ to try fix it.

To find out if the monitor display profile is the issue, I recommend you to try temporarily setting the monitor profile for your own monitor display under “Device” in your Windows ‘color management’ control panel to “sRGB IEC61966-2.1”. (If you have a wide gamut monitor display (check the spec online) it’s better to try ‘AdobeRGB1998” here instead as it more closely approximates the display characteristics).

Click ‘Start’, type color in the search box,

then click Color Management.

[or Press the Windows key + R, type colorcpl in the box and press Enter]

In the Devices tab, ensure that your monitor is selected in the Device field.

You can click to ADD to add “sRGB IEC61966-2.1” (or AdobeRGB1998) if not already listed there.

Again - IF you have a wide gamut display I suggest trying “AdobeRGB1998”

Once it’s selected, be sure to check “Use my settings for this device” up top.

And click on “set as Default Profile - bottom right

Screenshot of Color Management Control Panel

Quit and relaunch Photoshop after the control panel change, to ensure the new settings are applied.

Depending on the characteristics of your monitor display and your requirements, using sRGB or Adobe RGB here may be good enough - but no display perfectly matches either, so a custom calibration is a superior approach.

If this change to the Monitor Display profile temporarily fixes the appearance issue, it is recommended that you should now calibrate and profile the monitor properly using a calibration sensor like the i1display pro, which will create and install its own custom monitor profile. The software should install its profile correctly so there should be no need to manually set the control panel once you are doing this right.

I hope this helps

neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'

google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management

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