Why does the color on images change between psd files?

[Michael26931664em3e]

My images do not keep their color and vibrance when brought into different PSD files. Often the image just looks flat and dull. I've checked the Color Profiles and all the info is the same. It happens on all computers and monitors. We keep having to edit the color to get close to the original image. Attached is a screenshot of the original with color vibrancy, the other screenshot is that same image brought into another document, with all the same color profile settings, looking flat. Both images are RGB. HELP!!!

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Hi @Michael26931664em3e have you checked the embedded profiles in the PSD files? What is your color settings window set to (please supply screen shot).

[Michael26931664em3e]

Here are screenshots of the color profiles of each image... unless I'm looking in the wrong spot. Thanks Kevin!

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Check below - you have your warnings for mismatches turned off. Activate at least the warn when pasting.

[Michael26931664em3e]

Will do. Thank you for pointing that out!

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Hi @Michael26931664em3e what you are showing is Photoshop's color management settings.

Besides the warnings below - you also have everything set to preserve embedded color profiles.

If you go to Edit>Assign Color Profile you can see if the profiles are the same between the two.

With all of the conversion (which keeps everything the same and warnings turned off on the application level, you have no management going on at all.

[NB, colourmanagement net]

@Michael26931664em3e "Here are screenshots of the color profiles of each image... unless I'm looking in the wrong spot. Thanks Kevin!"

Yep, you ARE looking in the wrong spot.

What you are showing there is Photoshop's color settings panel- this is where defaults and policies are set. That control panel does NOT show you a document's (/image's) embedded profile.

You have 'preserve embedded profiles' activated there which is good. But "ask when opening" and "when pasting" are disabled, that means when you open images you'll get no warning - even though they may not match the default option selected in colour settings (sRGB in your case). 

D. Fosse has shown you, in his reply, how to view the embedded ICC profile of any open document. 

That’s where you need to check. 

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

[D Fosse]

You apparently have untagged files. This is exactly what can happen when there is no embedded color profile.

Your working spaces don't matter. That's just fallback defaults. Profiles are document level. The embedded profile will always override your color settings!

If you paste an untagged file into another with a different profile, color will change. The profile in the base document defines the colors.

None of this happens if there always is an embedded profile. It doesn't even matter which one it is, as long as it's there. Then it will always be correctly converted, and appearance maintained (within the limitations of the color space).

Here's the best place to keep track of your profiles:

[Michael26931664em3e]

Thank you both for your advice. I'll look into it. Appreciate the help.