Color management broken in new Bridge (Bridge 2020, Nov 2019)?

[jjohanson]

I have just updated my Bridge and Photoshop to their latest versions (November 2019, see detailed version info below).

**** See also UPDATE below (Bridge may now use PNGs for thumbnail/preview files in the cache for certain layered PSD files!).

It seems that there are some problems with color management in the new Bridge. The previous version which I have used until yesterday worked OK. Nothing changed in system except new Adobe apps today. Updated my graphics driver just before Adobe apps (see version info below).

I use Bridge/Photoshop for photography. In Bridge the previews and thumbnails Bridge looks OK for old photos (JPEG, PSD, Raw). However, when editing old PSD files or when creating new PSD documents, the preview for the new files will (often) be wrong. What I observe is about the same effect as I get when I view photos with an application that does not support color management. Since my monitor has a wide gamut LCD panel, the difference is quite pronounced, with oversaturated colors etc.

I have done some experiments and below is a description of a procedure that in my case is able to reproduce the problem with a few simple steps.
Also, when opening a Raw file with "Open Image" in ACR (yielding a flat image in the background layer), the preview in Bridge is OK.
When opening a Raw file with "Open Object" in ACR (yielding a smart object with no background layer), the preview in Bridge is wrong.

The problem can be demonstrated like this:

1) create a new document in Photoshop (try sRGB, color managed first)
2) fill the new document with a solid color (medium bright, medium saturation, I used green)
3) save the document
4) the preview in Bridge looks OK
5) create a new document in Photoshop (try sRGB, color managed first)
6) unlock the background layer
7) make a copy of the layer (yielding two identical layers with a solid color)
8 ) save the document
9) *** the preview in Bridge is now wrong (it is easy to see the oversaturated color) ***

Seems to have something to do with the use of layers?

Version numbers for software/hardware used:

- Adobe Photoshop Version: Adobe Photoshop 2020 Version: 21.0.0 20191018.r.37 2019/10/18 x64
- Bridge Version: Adobe Bridge 2020: 10.0.0.124 x64
- Adobe Camera Raw Version: 12.0.0.322
- Monitor: Eizo CG2730 (calibrated regularly with Xrite i1 Display)
- Windows 10 Pro x64 version: 1903 - Os build 18362.449

- Graphics driver: Driver version: 441.12 (GeForce GTX 1060 3GB)

[jjohanson]

**** UPDATE: I just found out the it seems that Bridge now erroneously generates (non-color managed) PNG files for thumbnail and previews for certain layered PSD files!!! More info in the posts below.

Have a look at the image files in the cache file location (Windows ) :

   C:\Users\jjoha\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Bridge\Cache\v36

I tried turning on "Use Software Rendering" in Bridge Preferences, but it did not seem to have any effect on this problem (PNG files still made for files with wrong looking previews).

[Adrian Andrunachi]

I've found the same issue. I didn't run such an extensive test, however I've notices when I deselect "Use Software Rendering" Bridge slows down, but the colors return to normal in full screen, otherwise the look washed out. Still they look fine in thumbnails whatsoever.

I'm also using a wide gamut monitor. Synchronizing colors across Adobe platform didn't help, so I have returned to the previous version: Bridge 2019 v.9.1.0.338

macOS Mojave 10.14.6

2018 Macbook Pro 13"

Dell UP2716D

UPDATE:

I believe it's just an issue of how Bridge is reading its previews, including monitor size previews. I've checked with Mac's Preview how previews look like color wise and they look just as it should be (/Library/Caches/Adobe/Bridge/Cache/v36/1024) and they're all are JPEGs. Moreover, the issue in my case is not only related to my wide gamut monitor, the color difference is highly visible on my laptop screen itself and as far as I know Retina screen is not a wide gamut panel.

It's funny that nobody from Adobe replied on these several topics raised, probably they just let us figure it out so that they spend less resources to come up with an update which solves this issue.  

[mikem55426763]

This happened to me last night and I tried turning on "Use software rendering" and "Generate monitor size previews", dumped the cache and synced with my colour profile settings in photoshop, then restarted. It looks good now, hope I haven't created new issues though.

[jjohanson]

Hi!

Just double checked turning on/off "Use Software Rendering" (with Bridge restart/PC reboot). In my case this setting does not seem to have any effect on the problem. Turning on "Use Software Rendering" just makes 100% previews slower to show up.

Also, for the files in question, Bridge still generates PNG files in its cache (which are non-color managed and are shown with oversaturated colors etc. on a wide gamut monitor), for both thumbnails, standard previews and 100% previews. As far as I can see this is new (erroneous) behavior.

[R_MOELLER]

Same problem here. Some additional findings.

- I had never activated Software Rendering 

- So far only PSD are affected (partially)

- The files are not new ones, the problem starts when I clear the cache for the file. The colours of the newly created thumbnail are off

- At the moment I have only PSD where layers are in a specific way: Smart Object with filters + transparent layer for retouching. If I flatten the image to background the thumbnail created has no problem.

- I still have Bridge 2019 installed. If I clear the cache there the newly created thumbnail looks good even in Bridge 2020

- The wrong colours are clearly visible in Bridge on my main monitor (wide gamut). The difference is probably difficult to see on sRGB monitors. I can barely see it when I move the Bridge windows to my second monitor 

[jjohanson]

Duplicate (removed)...

[jjohanson]

Yes, now it seems that when the new Bridge creates thumbnails, standard previews or 100% previews for new or updated files, it makes PNG files in the cache for certain layered PSD files, like the ones you mention (should have been JPEG files as it used to be). Not good since the PNG files are both large and not color managed (PNG does not support embedded color profiles).
 
Since Bridge 2019 and 2020 shares the same cache location:
  - currently on Windows: C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Bridge\Cache\v36
updating thumbnails/previews using Bridge 2019 will repair the thumbnails/previews (by making proper JPEG files in the cache).
 
Under the "v36" folder in the cache:
   folder "256": thumbnails / small previews
   folder "1024": large previews (like "Monitor-Size Previews)
   folder "full": 100% previews" (if "Keep 100% Previews in Cache")
 
I also observed that when the new Bridge makes the PNG thumbnails/preview cache files it will leave a possible existing JPEG version of the same file. When the new Bridge shows thumbnails/previews and there are both a PNG and a JPEG version of the same (PSD) file in the cache, it seems to use the (correct) JPEG version. Note however if a change is made to a (PSD) file while Bridge is running that the preview shown by Bridge will turn wrong. However, when restarting Bridge the correct preview will again show (since the OK JPEG version of the preview is still in the cache). Only after a cache clear and a cache rebuild (which generates only PNG files) will the new Bridge use the (incorrect) PNG version from the cache.

[jjohanson]

Some additional info:

1) The new Bridge may show outdated previews

From the observation regarding that Bridge prefers the JPEG version over a PNG version of the thumbnail/preview file of the same PSD file in the cache, it follows that you may actually see the preview an old/earlier version of a PSD file in Bridge.
This seems indeed to be the case. I just made a new "plain" PSD file (see next item). Bridge shows a correct preview and has made proper JPEG versions of thumbnails/preview files in its cache.
I then made changes to the same PSD file to produce the preview problem of the new Bridge (see next item). Bridge now changes the preview to show oversaturated colors etc. It also made new PNG thumbnail/preview files in its cache. There are now both JPEG and PNG versions of the same PSD file in the cache.
I then made additional (large) changes to the PSD file to make easily distinguishable from the original. While Bridge is still running the preview now reflects the new changes. However, when exiting and restarting Bridge, it will revert back to using the (old) JPEG version of the preview! Now Bridge shows an old version of the PSD file not reflecting the new changes (which are only in the PNG version of the thumbnail/preview files)!

2) What triggers the new erroneous behavior

After some experiments it seems that it is not the number of layers (more then 1) that creates bad previews (via PNG files in the cache). I have added several adjustment layers, image/raster/bitmap layers and still got no problems with previews.  "Maximize Compatibility" on/off etc. What seems to trigger the problem seems to be an unlocked or no background layer. When I saw the problem for the first time, I was making a change to a PSD file with a single layer with a Smart Object (opening a Raw file with "Open Object" in ACR, yielding a single layer with a smart object with no background layer).

To recap: step 6) above, “unlock the background layer”, seem to be the trigger.

[pedrojebierano]

Hi,
I have found that after the update from Bridge 2019 to Bridge 2020 images in jpg format compared to the psd format are displayed incorrectly when I activate a different monitor color profile than that of iMac. By that I mean, if I go to monitor in System Preferences of iMac and then select colors and another profile (for example, my own created by calibration) in Bridge 2020, distinct color differences between jpg and psd version of the same image are visible. Here are the data of the iMac:
iMac (Retina 5K, 27 inches, late 2014), 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 32GB 1600MHz DDR3, AMD Radeon R9 M290X 2GB.

Has anyone noticed the same thing from you?

Thank you for your feedback in advance.

Best regards

[ktotheb]

Same problem.

[xibo]

In Bridge 2020 photos look washed out.

[Joonas_Brandt]

I'm also having this problem!

[martin-media_ch]

sadly i have the same and other issues, since bridge removed or changed the export options.

pictures looks vibrant, shap and colorful in adobe RAW when opening via bridge. But once batch exported or generated with photoshop into srgb, they are totally flat, and also much darker. but when i open the generated image in photoshop, it looks a bit better, but all other viewers just look bad. i dont get why.. this all worked fine before bridge 19 and since the, it gets worse and worse with every update..

i really wonder if switching to lightroom would fix this issue, but i really hate lightroom. and they just messed up bridge.. sadly.

[KELphoto]

Same problem.  All my jpegs are washed out in Bridge compared to Photoshop.  They do not match, though both are set to North America General Purpose 2. 

[lukasc49621176]

THIS IS FROM THEIR SUPPORT TEAM: 

Since new Bridge version.....the old one is working fine. This is happening on all computers....I tested it on 5 different computers

TOSHIMANU

Could you please allow me a couple of moments while I check on my resources?

sure.....there is a lot of topics in your community about this too...

TOSHIMANU

Thank you so much for patiently waiting.

Lukas, I want to let you know that Photoshop and Bridge both works on different color profiles. So the previews which we see in Photoshop is different in Bridge.

2019 is working properly tho...

TOSHIMANU

I understand. Changes in color profiles have been made while developing the latest version and assigned different color profile to this version.

So basically, you are saying that people wont be really able to use Bridge in conjunctions with the photoshop right?

TOSHIMANU

It's not like that but the previews will be different from both applications.

It is like that if the colours are different and you are using different colour profile for previews...

TOSHIMANU

So the thing is that many users have reported this issue and our developer team is working on it's fix. It will be fixed with the next update of Bridge. Till then, you can use the previous version of application.

[daleheadrick]

Thanks for posting this info about this bothersome issue.

[smritim26058457]

Hi @jjohanson, this issue has been fixed in today's Bridge release 10.0.1. Thanks

[ktotheb]

yep, it appears to have been fixed. pitiful it took a month for Adobe to get it sorted out though.

[AlinPurcaroiu]

Bridge 2023 here ! Same problem.