camera raw files - oversaturation problem

Hi, first try this:

Display profile issues on Windows

At least once a week on this forum we read about this, or very similar issues of appearance differing between applications.

Unfortunately, with Microsoft hardware: Windows updates, Graphics Card updates and Display manufacturers have a frustratingly growing reputation for installing useless (corrupted) monitor display profiles.

I CAN happen with Macs but with far less likelyhood, it seems.

The issue can affect different applications 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 that causing it. Whatever you do, don't ignore it. As the issue isn’t caused by Photoshop, don’t change your Photoshop ‘color settings’ to try fix it. 

If you want to rule out pretty much the only issue we ever see with Photoshop, you can reset preferences, I never read of a preferences issue causing this problem though:

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

To find out if the monitor display profile is the issue, I recommend you to try setting the monitor profile for your own monitor display under “Device” in your Windows ‘color management’ control panel to sRGB temporarily. You can ADD sRGB if its not already listed. 

And be sure to check “Use my settings for this device”.

(OR, if you have a wide gamut monitor display (check the spec online) it’s better to try Adobe RGB here instead).*

Quit and relaunch Photoshop after the control panel change, to ensure the new settings are applied.

*If your benQ claims "Adobe RGB gamut" then use Adobe RGB rather than sRGB

If this change fixes the issue, it is recommended that you should now calibrate and profile the monitor properly using a calibration sensor like i1display pro, which will create and install it's own custom monitor profile. The software should install it’s profile correctly so there should be no need to manual set the control panel once you are doing this right. 

Depending on the characteristics of your monitor display and your requirements, using sRGB or Adobe RGB here may be good enough - but custom calibration is a superior approach.

If you ARE calibrating the screen and have a colorimeter device that you've been using with the (flawed) PalletMaster software then there is a solution - download basICColor display 6 software and try the 14 day free demo 

more info here https://www.colourmanagement.net/products/basiccolor/basiccolor-display-software/

I hope this helps

neil barstow, colourmanagement.net :: adobe forum volunteer

[please do not use the reply button on a message in the thread, only use the one at the top of the page, to maintain chronological order]

Then everything is normal and expected, and there's nothing to fix. What you're seeing is the difference between color managed and not color managed.

It does happen that monitor profiles are defective - either because you get bad manufacturer profiles, or because your calibrator has problems - and in that case PS/ACR/Lightroom etc will display incorrectly. Applications without color management don't use the profile and would be unaffected by this. But there is nothing in your screenshot that suggests a bad profile.

If you still suspect something's wrong, post some more screenshots.

Are you using a calibrator? If you really need critically correct colors, that's the only way to get it. But again, only color managed applications will actually use the profile it makes, so Windows Photos will be just as unreliable.

Wait a second.

I assumed that was Photoshop on the right - but it's not; it's Windows "Photos". So let me be very clear: Windows "Photos" is not color managed and cannot be trusted or used as a reference for anything. Windows "Photos" does not display correctly, ever, under any circumstances.

Don't use it. Period.

So with that out of the way - how does the raw file display when opened into Photoshop?

The BenQ software is known to be buggy and cause exactly this problem. Try to update and see if they've fixed it.

What's actually happening is that ACR isn't using the correct monitor profile.