Photos that have been edited in Photoshop are washed out when emailed

[susansgarden]

I write a weekly column for our local newspaper and provide the photos to go with the columns. I use Photoshop to edit and format my photos prior to emailing them to the paper. I just found out that my photos have been "washed out" looking when I've attached them to an email. After some experimentation, I discovered this does NOT happen if I don't edit the photo in Photoshop.

Apparently the problem began last fall right before my fall/winter writing break so I was unaware of it. I just started up my writingn season again and was notified by my editor.

I use Microsoft Windows and Outlook for email, although I have tested this in other email programs and the photos are still washed out.

My routine with a photo is the following:

• I sharpen and crop the image, if needed.
• I go to "Image - Image Size" and choose 10" wide or 8" wide (depending on whether it's a horizontal or vertical image) and choose 200 dpi or 300 dpi, depending on the size of the image, so that the image is at least 1 mg (the newspaper's requirement).
• Then I go to "Edit - Convert to Profile" and under "destination space," I select e-sRGB. In that same dialog box, the conversion options are Engine: Adobe ACE, Intent: Relative Colorimetric, Use BlackPoint Compensation (checked), and Use Dither (checked).
• Then I go to "File - Save As", input the filename and save it as a JPEG
• In the JPEG options box, I have the quality set to "10" and the format option is "Baseline - Standard" (note: I have to use Baseline - Standard for the newspaper as that is what their system can handle, not optimized or progressive).
• I have been using this method for a long time, with no problems, so I am wondering if an update by Adobe might have intiated this... or that a box that was never checked before is now checked!
• Thank you in advance for your suggestions and assistance.

[Ussnorway]

I would assume the email step is wiping data from the Jpeg... I would test this by using some other image software to make a Jpeg and email that to someone then download it (from their email, not yours) and compare to your original

if that works then make a Photoshop Jpeg and redo the test... this will tell you if the error is Photoshop, email or something else

[susansgarden]

Thank you, USSNorway for the suggestion. I am not familiar with another image software, can you suggest something? However, I have tried different email programs, plus have emailed images for years, without any problems. So this is quite a puzzle.

[Ussnorway]

well you list that you are using Windows so Windows media player or the Photos app in Windows 10 should be options at the very least?

this could be Photoshop or something else, the fact is email rules change all the time... they just don't bother to tell people about it

[susansgarden]

Isn't that the truth?! Thank you for the suggestions.

[Jeff Arola]

Whenever i email any images i zip/archive them before emailing.

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

"Then I go to "Edit - Convert to Profile" and under "destination space," I select e-sRGB."

Do not use e-sRGB! That is not the standard sRGB color profile.

e-sRGB was an early and primitive attempt at a wide gamut profile. It is obsolete and not used anywhere nowadays. What's worse, it will permanently damage your files by severely clipping the black and white points. That's most likely the reason for the "washed out" appearance when the file is viewed without color management.

The proper sRGB profile is called sRGB IEC61966-2.1.

[susansgarden]

Hi, D_Fosse. I neglected to mention that in the "Convert to Profile" dialog box, the source space is filled in with sRGB IEC61966-2.1 But below that (still in the same dialog box), under "destination space," that's where the profile comes up with "e-SRGB."

If you wouldn't mind looking under the destination space options, is there a different option that should be selected? I believe the e-SRGB option showed up after an Adobe Photoshop update a few months back (which just might coincide with the timing of this problem, hmmm.) I appreciate your help!

[D Fosse]

Short answer: nevermind where it comes from. Just avoid it.

These rolldowns are sticky. If you picked it once, it will come up the next time. But e-sRGB is not installed with Photoshop. It comes from somewhere else, I suspect some murky corner of Windows. There's a lot of weird profiles in the full list, enough to not take any of them at face value. Just use those you know and recognize.

[susansgarden]

Well, that was definitely the problem. I just noticed that you can't see the top of the options list for the profile. I changed it and the problem is solved! Thank you so much for your help.