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R
robotico
Participating Frequently
March 5, 2021
Answered

Files too saturated when initially opened, but corrected when dragged to second display and back

  • March 5, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 3138 views

I'm using two displays. Photoshop's (v 22.2) main window is on the right display- a Philips 4k. Adobe Bridge is on the left display- an LG ultrawide. When photos are initially opened PS from the finder or from Bridge, they appear overly saturated.

 

IF the image window tab is dragged from the PS app window frame so that it floats, the color is corrected.

 

IF the PS image window is dragged left to the LG display, the saturation is correct. IF the image window is then dragged right, returned to the Philips display, it remains corrected.

 

IF the PS app window is moved to the left LG monitor the file opens corrected.

 

If the same image is imported (or dragged into) Adobe Illustrator on the right/Philips display, the color is correct. This is also the same for XD and Premiere.I have sync'd the color for all Adobe apps via Bridge "Color Settings". Color appears to be consistent across all Adobe apps except for when the file is first opened in PS. 

 

Here's a video of the image tab being dragged and dropped out of the application window. Saturation decreases ~15%.

 

 

Thoughts?

Thanks, RobThanks

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer D Fosse

    This is an issue that seems to be specific to iMac/MacBook Pro + external display. We've seen quite a few cases lately. It appears that this is not an Adobe bug. It has been reported on the feedback forum (the official bug report channel) several times.

     

    What happens is that the wrong monitor profile is used (not document profile). Don't try to change any color settings, that's not where the problem is.

     

    It is most likely connected to how displays are assigned in the video pipeline, and specifically integrated display vs. external display. Several workarounds have been proposed, such as setting the external display as main/primary in the OS, but it doesn't work for everybody.

     

    Previously this has occasionally been seen on Windows laptops too (not recently), but I think that confirms the suspicion that it's about system display assignment. It has never, ever, been reported from desktop machines with multiple displays.

    3 replies

    R
    roboticoAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 8, 2021

    Setting my main/primary screen in Mac OS System Preferences: Displays to the same screen that PS was using as the main display appears to have remedied the issue. Yay!

      J
      jonathantabensky
      Participating Frequently
      March 8, 2021

      Oh boy, yes, I looked into that just now and you are correct! I didn't realise there was a way to do that on Mac OS by dragging the menu bar. It says you can but doesn't say what it does. That is a great tip! I do however think that Adobe should still pursue the reason why Photoshop on the external screen has the behaviour you originally highlighted as it seems to be handled by other software just fine. Thanks, that made my day!

      J
      jonathantabensky
      Participating Frequently
      March 9, 2021

      Oh no, now thumbnails in Bridge on my laptop screen are now incorrect... I really feel we need to something fixed in software still as fixing one problem just created another it would seem 😞

      D Fosse
      Community Expert
      D FosseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      March 6, 2021

      This is an issue that seems to be specific to iMac/MacBook Pro + external display. We've seen quite a few cases lately. It appears that this is not an Adobe bug. It has been reported on the feedback forum (the official bug report channel) several times.

       

      What happens is that the wrong monitor profile is used (not document profile). Don't try to change any color settings, that's not where the problem is.

       

      It is most likely connected to how displays are assigned in the video pipeline, and specifically integrated display vs. external display. Several workarounds have been proposed, such as setting the external display as main/primary in the OS, but it doesn't work for everybody.

       

      Previously this has occasionally been seen on Windows laptops too (not recently), but I think that confirms the suspicion that it's about system display assignment. It has never, ever, been reported from desktop machines with multiple displays.

        J
        jonathantabensky
        Participating Frequently
        March 6, 2021

        I have this problem too but only since v22.x

        If I'm using 21.x the problem no longer exists. For some reason the issue was introduced with the most recent versions of Photoshop so I can't see any other explanation than it's a Photoshop bug...and a really serious one too for those doing color critical work.  If I change the size of the Photoshop workspace from one of the corners the colors are corrected. They remain corrected until I close the file/s. When I open a new file the colors are wrong again..until I change the size of the workspace window again. It's incredulous to me that Adobe would try to pass the buck and say it's not their bug when without changing any other variables (hardware etc) other than their software the problem has suddely appeared. It doesn't happen with Capture One. It doesn't happen with DaVinci Resolve. It doesn't happen with any of my other software products actually! And this problem has been dragging on for quite some time! I can't understand it. A really easy fix for Adobe would surely be by adding a maual monitor profile selection box to Photoshop preferences...or in the color settings. Problem solved! Pleeease, could we get this problem sorted for the thousands of Macbook pro users out there working on pro external color monitors...

          J
          jonathantabensky
          Participating Frequently
          March 6, 2021

          And btw, a new Photoshop version exposing latent GPU/driver bugs is something that happens a lot. Especially this time, when GPU requirements increased significantly from the previous version. New functions, new calls to the driver, new error-checking code, etc etc.

           


          I just noticed that by turning off the graphics processor completely the problem disappears. I really wish that what you suggested would work by having the GPU in basic mode. But it seems you have to sacrifice GPU completely in order for the colors to render correctly without any workarounds...

          R
          roboticoAuthor
          Participating Frequently
          March 5, 2021

          Responding because I see no edit option. Cycling through the screen modes alters the saturation of the image. Going from "Standard Screen Mode" to "Full Screen Mode With Menu Bar" corrects the saturation. Going to "Full Screen Mode" decreases the saturation AGAIN so the image now looks washed out. BUT if I click on the image window with any tool the saturation corrects. Hitting ESC desaturates the image again. Clicking on it, corrects it. Returning to "Standard Screen Mode" by clicking/holding/selecting cause over saturation, but clicking on the image corrects it.

            R
            roboticoAuthor
            Participating Frequently
            March 5, 2021

            Video of saturation changing with screen mode cycling.

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