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robreesesheppard
Participating Frequently
February 28, 2019
Answered

PhotoShop Color Space Changing

  • February 28, 2019
  • 8 replies
  • 5350 views

I have been dealing with an issue where my PhotoShop color space changes when the PS file is opened on another computer.

We are exporting raw images from Capture One into PhotoShop using the Adobe RGB 1998 ICC Profile, because we need it to be in this profile for our printing format. After we save that PS file and send it to somebody else to work on, the Working Color Space changes itself to sRGB, instead of the Adobe RGB 98 that we need it to be in. This has not happened in the past, but even after trouble shooting with Adobe, we were not able to solve the problem.

Looking for any reasons as to why this is happening and I am happy to post screenshots of our exports settings or anything else that you feel would be appropriate. I can't find anything else related to this issue on this internet or forums.

Thank you!

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

You can convert to Adobe RGB if you need to. That is, if you are making edits that go beyond the sRGB gamut. If not, there's absolutely no point. It will be correctly handled in either case, as long as you haven't changed the "preserve embedded profiles" policy.

 

 

8 replies

ezestuff
ezestuff
Participant
March 23, 2020

Quick question Dave, the packaging photographers I work with save in Adobe 1998, I retouch and design in 1998 and send to the printer in 1998. What do I do when an outside source (freelancer) saves the file with an embedded sRGB profile and I need to do additional work on it? Am I stuck with the file being sRGB? Thanks in advance !!!

D Fosse
Community Expert
D FosseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
March 23, 2020

You can convert to Adobe RGB if you need to. That is, if you are making edits that go beyond the sRGB gamut. If not, there's absolutely no point. It will be correctly handled in either case, as long as you haven't changed the "preserve embedded profiles" policy.

 

 

    T
    Test Screen Name
    Legend
    February 28, 2019

    I’ve never thought about it but on reflection “working space” is not a good name for a space which may have no connection to open documents. “Default space“ might be better. I wonder if the term predates embedded profiles...

    D Fosse
    Community Expert
    D FosseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 28, 2019

    https://forums.adobe.com/people/Test+Screen+Name  wrote

    I’ve never thought about it but on reflection “working space” is not a good name for a space which may have no connection to open documents. “Default space“ might be better. I wonder if the term predates embedded profiles...

    You're absolutely right; it does. I can't recall which version exactly, but at some point Photoshop had this new feature called "multiple working spaces". That was embedded profiles.

    There's lots of legacy stuff in there. I've talked about "Convert to Working" several times lately, that's one. Not to mention "Off". If Photoshop had been designed from scratch today, those two options wouldn't even have been on the table. But presumably, there's one or two people out there who still live in 1998.

    T
    Test Screen Name
    Legend
    February 28, 2019

    Looking closely, I think you're completely misinterpreting what you see:

    So this is what you see on your computer. I hope you never actually USE Assign Profile. But it's telling you that your working space and the document profile are both Adobe RGB.

    Now this. Again, I that on the other computer they NEVER USE ASSIGN PROFILE. But this is telling you that the document profile is Adobe RGB, just like you said. No problem. It also so happens that Photoshop's working profile, its default profile, is sRGB. This is a matter of no interest UNLESS you change the profile. DON'T. You made an Adobe RGB document. That's what it still is.

      R
      robreesesheppardAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      February 28, 2019

      Great. That's all I needed to know. Was just concerned that the color data was permanently changing through the opening of the file on the other end. Thanks a bunch.

      F
      faheena94322988
      Participant
      February 28, 2019

      embed the profile, make sure color management policies are always set to Preserve Embedded Profiles

      [Link removed by moderator]

      T
      Test Screen Name
      Legend
      February 28, 2019

      Don't forget it's the settings on the OTHER computer you need to look at for Preserve Embedded Profiles. You can't force it by how you save your files. Converting to working space is many people's preferred way of working. Not sure why you say you need the profile to not change "for your printing format" to be honest, the point of profiles is that it can be converted.

      D Fosse
      Community Expert
      D FosseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 28, 2019

      This cannot happen as long as you

      • embed the profile
      • make sure color management policies are always set to Preserve Embedded Profiles

      It's one of those two.

      mglush
      Community Expert
      mglushCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 28, 2019

      Hi!

      It would be great if you could post the screenshots so we could see your settings. Also, how are you assigning the color profiles to your images? Is the computer that's opening them cross-platform from yours? Have you upgraded anything before this started happening?

      Thanks!

      Michelle

      R
      robreesesheppardAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      February 28, 2019

      So here are the settings that we have set when exporting the raw photo from Capture One into PS.

      And when in the PS file that was created, all is correct.

      After sending the PS file over to our retouchers or any other computers, the PS file changes its working Color Space to sRGB.

      So I guess my question now is, will the actual color data be changed when this happens? Or is it okay to just switch the working RGB back to Adobe RGB 1998, because the actual Profile itself is still Adobe RGB 1998?

      davescm
      Community Expert
      davescmCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 28, 2019

      Whoa - stop

      Never use Assign profile unless you know a profile to be incorrect or there is no profile and you want to assign the correct one.

      In the Assign profile dialogue  - working profile is not the current document profile - it is just the default profile you have set in colour settings for new documents

      So in Colour settings make sure that Preserve embedded profiles is checked.

      Then to check a document profile - open the document and go the the bottom left of the window and look here. If you don't see it click the arrow key and choose document profile from the menu

      Dave

      Michael Bullo
      Community Expert
      Michael BulloCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 28, 2019

      Hi robreesesheppard,

      Have you checked whether the Adobe RGB 1998 profile is getting saved with the Photoshop file? For example within the Save As dialogue box there is a check box for embedding the color profile.

      Without an embedded profile Photoshop opens such files as Untagged and will render the file using the settings in the Color Settings dialogue box. If another person's Photoshop was using sRGB as their default then a colour shift would occur in your files.

      Michael

      R
      robreesesheppardAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      February 28, 2019

      Hey Michael,

      The profile is being embedded when saving the file. The profile itself stays as 1998, but the Working Color Space switches itself to sRGB. I guess a follow up question would be, is it okay if the Working Color Space changes and then is changed back to 1998 after opening the file? Meaning, will it change the color data in anyway on the file?

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