colorspace when sharing to Photos from Photoshop

[charlesl38686527]

When using the share function from Photoshop to Photos, what happens to the colorspace? Does Photoshop automatically convert to sRGB as it creates the jpeg file that goes to Photos?

[rob day]

I’m getting a conversion to Generic RGB when I share to Messages or Mail. I don’t use Photos, but assume it would be the same:

[D Fosse]

What's "generic RGB"? How does that relate to the standard color spaces? Just out of curiosity -

[rob day]

It’s an Apple profile, so I assume something different happens when you Share... on a Windows machine?

It’s somewhat smaller than sRGB—sRGB in white.

[Conrad C]

I got curious too, and a quick search found an old archived Apple Developer tech note…

Technical Q&A QA1430 - Apple RGB and Generic RGB profiles explained

…that says…

The Generic RGB profile that ships with Mac OS X is based on P22 phosphors, D65 white point and 1.8 gamma.

If so, the Generic RGB profile assumes a CRT and doesn’t relate to any of the non-phosphor flat panel displays that everyone uses now. But if it’s used as an embedded profile in an image, that should be OK since any color-managed application would convert from it to the display profile.

[D Fosse]

So, sRGB-ish, but gamma 1.8. 

Not so generic after all; it won't be any use without full color management. In other words the file could just as well stay in the original color space.

[NB, colourmanagement net]

Hi Charles,

I tested the process you asked about.

(Why you ask would be good to know?)

I "shared" an Adobe RGB image from Photoshop to OSX Photos.

The appearance in Photos was correct.

Next, I exported from Photos and re-opened the exported image in Photoshop so that I could see the ICC profile.

No sign of a mystery legacy generic ICC - it had been converted to sRGB according to the proile tag revealed in Photoshop

Pre share:

After "share" from Photoshop to Photos then exporting and re-opening in Photoshop

According to this test I'd suggest that an image "shared" to Photos IS being converted to sRGB 

Rob, sadly share to messages never worked for me - nothing happens wheh clicking that option, so I can't test it. if Apple have left a generic RGB profile in that process it would be good to see that get updated. 

Who to ask there? Who knows! John Zimmerer was a great Colorsync Tzar during my early involvement with Apple but that "post" apparently went many years ago.

I hope this helps

thanks
neil barstow, colourmanagement.net :: adobe forum volunteer
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[rob day]

No sign of a mystery legacy generic ICC

OSX (I’m using High Sierra) has always installed a group of default profiles, in the System folder System>Library>ColorSync. The profiles named Generic live there: