Image desaturated after export

[Stellaaaaaaaaa]

When working on the canvas the colors are more vibrant, then the colors are dulled once I export it.

Is there anything I could do to get rid of the color difference?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

What is the original image’s Color Space? 

Please set the Status Bar to »Document Profile« and post meaningful screenshots.

[Stellaaaaaaaaa]

Here is the color space of the image. Also, I realized that the exported photo is the same color as the canvas, the saturation difference is between the canvas, the export preview, and the navigator. However, the problem only happens in one monitor but not the other so please let me know what I could try to get rid of the difference. Thank you.

The pictures:

1. Color profile of the image

2. Photoshop on monitor with saturation difference

3. Photoshop on monitor with no color difference

4. monitor with saturation difference

5. monitor with no saturation difference

6. Color management setting

[jazz-y]

It looks like you are working with an untagged rgb image on a monitor with a wide color gamut.  Uncheck "convert to srgb" in the export window.

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

Could be, but then there would be a hashtag # in the title bar (RGB/8#).

I think this is probably just the color management bug in the Export preview that we've known about for a long time. I have no idea why they don't just fix that, it's been there for at least two years.

It's just the preview that is wrong, the exported file itself is fine.

Use Save For Web, which behaves correctly and reliably. That's what I do.

[Stellaaaaaaaaa]

Thank you. The exported image did end up being the same as what it is on the canvas, so the preview is inaccurate as you said. However, I tried another monitor, where the canvas and preview didn't have this much saturation difference, so I suspect there is a problem with monitor color management. Would you look at my settings and let me know what I could try?

Picture 1: Color management setting

Picture 2: monitor with saturation difference

Picture 3: monitor with no saturation difference

Picture 4: photoshop on monitor with no color difference

Picture 5: Photoshop on monitor with saturation difference

Picture 6: Color profile of the image

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

OK, maybe this is a monitor profile issue. If there is a problem with the profile, maybe not written to correct icc specification, whatever - it may end up not being read correctly by an application under some circumstances.  I notice right away that your monitor profiles are a bit off/suboptimal.

First of all, I can say that if you bought a calibrator, all this would be solved immediately. But in the meantime we can probably fix it temporarily.

For the Samsung, there isn't a default profile assigned in the operating system at all. I googled this model, and it's a standard gamut panel. So just set sRGB IEC61966-2.1 here and click "set as default".

The Huion Kanvas is a bit more tricky. The specs state "150% sRGB, 92% Adobe RGB". A simple % number doesn't tell you much, but it does indicate that the display is about half way between standard gamut and wide gamut. That's OK in itself, but it means you must have an accurate monitor profile. It also means that without proper color management, that display will display an sRGB file oversaturated. A functioning monitor profile will correct for that.

So, lacking a calibrator, here you have no choice but to download a monitor profile from Huion. Set it up the same way.

Relaunch Photoshop when this is done. Photoshop loads the monitor profile at application startup, and continues using it for the remainder of that session.

But there's more. I see you have the screens connected to two different GPUs. That's also a potential problem in Photoshop, because it uses the GPU for actual data processing, sending the result back to Photoshop, and there can only be one GPU in that equation. Two GPUs will conflict if they are both called. Ideally, both screens should run off the RTX 4070.

The GPU matters here because the conversion into the monitor profile, the actual display color management, is executed in the GPU. So a marginal profile can break in a marginal GPU driver, or vice versa. It can work in some circumstances and break in others. These are flip sides to the same coin.

Finally. Try Save For Web just to rule out an Export bug.

[Stellaaaaaaaaa]

Wow thank you for this detailed explanation of color profile. For now, I somehow got rid of the color difference by setting the monitor in question to the main monitor and solved the over-saturation by turning down the monitor saturation manually. I would totally get a monitor calibrator in the future for a more permanent solution. 

[NB, colourmanagement]

@Stellaaaaaaaaa Hi, you need to be sure that your display is reasonably accurate and not just compansating for an image which actually may be oversaturated. (when you get a calibrator that will certainly help) - for now, perhaps try this testimage in Photoshop and assess the "memory colours" such as skintones, grass etc.

please go here and download the Adobe RGB testimage: https://www.colourmanagement.net/index.php/downloads_listing/

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

[Earth Oliver]

Going on 8 years now and they still haven't fixed the Export As preview bug? 
Beyond sad.

[D Fosse]

This one hasn't been there for 8 years - but there has been some color management bug or another the whole time.

It's really strange. It's like the whole "Project Export" has been left behind and forgotten. We've posted gentle nudges in Bugs from time to time, but they just sink without a trace.

Really strange. Thankfully, Save For Web is still functional and working remarkably well.