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Chris33370797xpal
Participant
May 15, 2024
Question

Illustrator file placed in Photoshop shifts colors. Both files have same color profile.

  • May 15, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 1657 views

This is an extremely frustrating issue. I'm placing an AI file into a PSD file and the colors shift subtley. Both files share the same Display P3 color profile and are synced via Bridge. At my work we have experienced this issue numerous times and we are getting complaints from our client about it. These programs are 30+ years old and there should be no issue placing an AI file into a PSD. I have tried numerous troubleshooting steps to no avail. The only solution I have come up with is to export the AI file to a generic SVG web vector format. That solved the color shift issue and allowed the file to still be an editable vector opening in AI. 

 

Adobe, please fix this issue. I'm using the latest versions of both programs. 

The native files should not be color shifting. 

    2 replies

    M
    mel31877633zuyj
    Participant
    June 27, 2025

    try to use this setting in illustrator before you drag your ai files to psd

    D Fosse
    Community Expert
    D FosseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 15, 2024

    Please show screenshots.

     

    Just to be sure, since you say "synced via Bridge" (which is irrelevant): Do both files have the same color profile embedded? Not working spaces, but embedded profile.

    C
    Chris33370797xpalAuthor
    Participant
    May 15, 2024
    Both files have the same Display P3 color profile assigned.

    Both documents were created on my computer using the same Display P3
    working space profile and both files have had the same Display P3 profile
    manually assigned as well. The colors were sampled before and after. We've
    done numerous troubleshooting tests.

    Copying and pasting the AI file into a PSD makes the colors shift slightly.
    The color shift is even more pronounced when dragging and dropping the AI
    file into a PSD.

    For example, a yellow color, fdf551, will shift to fcf551 when the AI art
    is copied and pasted into the PSD.

    The same fdf551 color will shift more dramatically to f3e955 when the AI
    file dragged and dropped into a PSD.

    All of these files are using the same profile and were created on the same
    computer with the same working color space assigned across the
    Adobe programs. The profiles have been manually assigned as well as a test.

    This is also happening to my coworker on his computer with files he is
    creating independently.

    We are both using the latest versions of the Adobe products.

    Saving the AI file as an SVG and placing it in the PSD works to retain the
    correct color values. This should also work with the native AI format, but
    it does not. That is the issue.
    C
    Chris33370797xpalAuthor
    Participant
    May 16, 2024

    @Chris33370797xpal 

     

    OK, I've tested, and I can reproduce this. I get the same numerical change from fdf551 to fcf551 - or to use more transparent numbers, from 253-245-81 to 252-245-81. Other colors give similar results, some with a number off in two or even three channels. But never more than one value.

     

    And I did this with Adobe RGB files, so it's irrespective of color space used. The PSD master is 16 bit.

     

    Now, as you can all see, this is a very subtle change, just one number in the red channel. But still, there's no particular reason it should change at all.

     

    As for the "more dramatic change", I'm not able to get that. I suspect that might be an untagged file in the mix.


    Hi D Fosse,

    I'm glad you were able to reproduce the issue with cutting and pasting AI
    art into a PSD.

    Thank you for exploring the issue. Much appreciated.

    However, I'm concerned that you cannot replicate the previous example of
    the more dramatic color change that I provided, which occured from dragging
    and dropping the very same AI file into the same PSD file.

    There should not be a difference between the two actions of cutting and
    pasting art from an AI file into a PSD, and dragging and dropping the same
    art into the very same PSD. While the cutting and pasting color change is
    slight, the drag and drop changed the colors significantly and was clearly
    noticeable to the eye.

    Dragging and dropping AI art into PSDs has been a common action in our
    production workflow for years (if not decade(s)) as it is a quick way to
    place a fully editable vector smart object into a PSD using fewer steps,
    but now we have to be careful to avoid doing so, as well as double check
    color consistency for all AI art placed into PSDs using any method.

    I really hope you (or Adobe) can also replicate the AI to PSD drag and drop
    color shift issue.

    Until the color shifting is resolved we will not use placed AI files in
    PSDs, but rather generic SVG exported from AI as a work-around. (I've
    dropped this here for anyone else experiencing the same issue).

    Thank you.
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