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tabwarinner
Participating Frequently
February 2, 2022
Question

My colors are wrong when I upload an image.

  • February 2, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 4668 views

My colors are wrong when I upload an image. They were fine yesterday. My computer updated this morning. Could that be the problem? I can't figure out how to fix it.

4 replies

NB, colourmanagement
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 2, 2022

Try this:

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 Windows "Photos", because colour management is not implemented there, so such programs are incapable of providing accurate image display.

 

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. 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.

 

 

 

Still got problems?

If you want to try a method that’s proved successful to rule out many an issue we see with Photoshop, you can reset preferences:

 

To reset the preferences in Photoshop: 

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html

 

Note: Make sure that you back up all your custom presets, brushes & actions before restoring Photoshop's preferences. Migrate presets, actions, and settings

 

 

I hope this helps

neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer

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

Kukurykus
Legend
February 3, 2022

The second link is broken: Migrate presets, actions, and settings

NB, colourmanagement
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 5, 2022
D Fosse
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 2, 2022

This is most likely a defective manufacturer monitor profile distributed through Window Update. Common problem.

 

See this other thread from today:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/photoshop-color-management-messed-up-with-windows-11-help-please/td-p/12724226 

 

The question is - did it change in Photoshop? If it did, it's probably the monitor profile. If not, it could be any number of things, like a missing document profile, non-color managed app used to view the file, etc.

tabwarinner
Participating Frequently
February 2, 2022

That sounds complicated 🤦🏼‍♀️ I'm so overwhelmed and need to get this fixed so I can print my subs. Sry, I just feel stupid when it comes to this. 

When I go to my files and open the png, the colors appear on my monitor perfect. It's when I open it into photoshop that they're changed. 

NB, colourmanagement
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 2, 2022

Hi

Are the colours changed in all your image files or just that one? 

Youre still viewing in Photoshop - right?

Do your files have embedded ICC profiles? Sometimes png files do not.

What was it that "updated"?

I think you may have a corrupted displ;ay profile if ALL files have changed. 

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management

tabwarinner
Participating Frequently
February 2, 2022

My computer updated. I've tried uploading different png's and the colors are wrong on all of them now. I'm so frustrated. I have orders to complete and can't. Will the article show me how to fix the corrupt profile? 

Legend
February 2, 2022

Have you upgraded to Windows 11? go to the control panel and search for updates - update KB5008353 should be installed, which fixes problems with accessing applications to color profiles.

Bojan Živković11378569
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 2, 2022

Can you give us more info about process? You are uploading where, to which platform, service? What is process and steps when you are saving from Photoshop?

 

Your computer updated? Do you mean Operating System or Photoshop? To which version in particular? Neither Windows OS nor Photoshop recent updates will change anything unless you are doing something differently or something changed on platform where you are uploading. 

 

Some screenshots and more info will be useful.

tabwarinner
Participating Frequently
February 2, 2022

First of all, let me say that I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to computers and definitely color management. I know basics and that's it. I'm trying to print a png for sublimation from photoshop. I had been using Silhouette Studio but my reds were orange and pinks a dark coral. Silhouette Studio can't be used with the color profile that I was given with my sublimation ink as far as I know so someone suggested I use photoshop. I tried it and it worked perfectly (Monday). Yesterday morning, I got on to print some images and when I uploaded the png, the pink was a bright purple (that was the biggest color change in the image). I hadn't changed any setting. My computer updated yesterday morning before I tried the upload. I can't imagine what else would have caused the color issue. I'll include a picture of the png in the correct color first and then what it looked like when I uploaded it yesterday.