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L
Lucy277773796ne0
Participant
February 7, 2023
Question

Started editing in RAW and PS is automatically choosing Prophoto RGB to edit in. Is it correct?

  • February 7, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 272 views

Last time I posted, I didn't get any response so really hoping someone can help me now. 

 

I have started shooting in RAW and I attempted my first edit tonight. 

 

I opened it up in LR, made some small adjustments then right clicked "edit in PS" and then did some further editing in PS. 

 

I didn't check my colour space settings at that time. 

 

After I'd finished, I clicked "save" and it saved as a TIFF file. I then went to LR and the PS edited copy had been sent from PS to LR, I finished off some small bits and pieces and then saved my final edit as a JPEG. 

 

A little while later, I opened the file in PS and noticed that in the "assign profile" it was automatically set to Profile and "Prophoto RGB".

When I have edited JPEGs in the past, the computer has always automatically set it to "working RGB" not profile and Prophoto RGB. 

 

I was editing a black and white photo today, not colour but I'm unsure of what colour profile i should be assigning when editing RAWS. 

 

Should I just let PS automatically decide like it did today and use Prophoto RGB or should I pick the one I normally use for editing JPEGS and choose working RGB? 

 

I'm really confused with PS changing the working space to Prophoto RGB 

 

I don't print my shots, they are all online / social media. 

 

If anyone could help (very simply as I'm not technology minded at all) I would appreciate it! 

 

Thanks 

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

TheDigitalDog
TheDigitalDog
Inspiring
February 7, 2023

Short answer:

Long answer (depends on the aim of all the uses of the image, including printing and future use). 

https://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/pdfs/phscs2ip_colspace.pdf

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
L
Lucy277773796ne0Author
Participant
February 8, 2023

So that's why PS is automatically setting it to Prophoto RGB when I move it over from LR? 

 

I did a little test and took a shot, opened it in LR, moved it to PS and saved one with the colour profile working RGB and another with the one that PS defaulted to - Prophoto RGB. 

 

The one with working RGB looked absolutely horrific, like something out of a horror movie with the colours completely off. 

 

The prophoto RGB one looked absolutely fine. 

 

My puzzlement comes in that I have alot of photographer friends and they all use SRGB colour space and none of them have even heard of Prophoto RGB so how come what's affecting me in working RGB doesn't affect them when they are working in RAW? 

And then why would my jpegs edit fine in working RGB but not the RAWS?

 

Or am I overthinking it and just accept that PS has defaulted to prophoto RGB because it knows what it's doing and I don't? 

L
Lucy277773796ne0Author
Participant
February 8, 2023

The setting is sticky. You can set it to whatever is supported and it will remain that color space. 

The default for Photoshop, out of the box is (as far as I recall) North America Web which sets the RGB Working Space to sRGB (not ideal IMHO for raw data). 

A lot of photographers don't understand basic color management so there's that. 

Let's start here (after you read the Adobe white paper on Working Spaces). 

http://digitaldog.net/files/ColorGamut.mov

http://digitaldog.net/files/ColorManagementinACR4.mp4


Thank you, I didn't realise that it was so varied. I thought there was just one setting that worked and that was it, not that there were a few and it's whatever seems to work best. The prophoto RGB does seem to work on my computer (it's a mac, I don't know if that makes a difference) and the working RGB definitely doesn't! Lol . I guess that's just how it is but I would like to learn more about colour management so I actually understand it. 

Thank you for the above links, its quite late where I am as I'm in the UK and my head is a bit fried with it all so I'm going to bed but I will watch tomorrow when I get up. 

I might be back with some more questions but I think the videos will be very helpful, thank you 😊 

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