colormanagement saving *.png as srgb

[studio@echt-eppelt.com]

Hi,

we discovered this afternoon a problem - for a client we´ve to save pictures in PSP as *.jpg and *.png with a srgb profile
On the last job we did for this client this worked fine - these "old" pictures ar looking same, the *.png is like *.jpg.

Our Workflow:

We open the pics (saved as *jpg with adobe Rgb) In the actual PSP (19.0 Win 10 and 7 based ) and start our retouch job.
In the end the pic is converted to srgb and saved as *.jpg. Then we save the same pic as *.png.
The box with the colormanagement is now grey - we save it.
In Bridge the *.png is shown up with srgb - the colors in png and jpg are same.
On reopening this *.png pic in PSP - Psp is calling for a decision: this data is not able to deliever CM, there is no profile: work witout colormananement - change to working color space ( in our case Adobe RGB ) or put a profile in it. Only when we decide the last option with srgb and converting in the rgb working space we get a correct color.

In this way we can´t offer the pictures to our client - if he opens the pics in his system he will get funny colors - even in a browser.
We do this job since years - we never had such a problem - when we open old *.png picture there is no warning, the pictures are looking in the right way.

Hope you understand the problem - and someone is able to give a hint - for me it seems to be a bug - but we´ve deliver on monday ..
Regards Chris

[SteveWeinrebe]

When you save as PNG, besides converting to sRGB are you embedding the profile? In both Export As... and Save for Web there is an Embed Color Profile checkbox, that is not checked by default.

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

There's something funny going on here. I just checked, and the OP is right. "Save As" PNG no longer embeds the profile. And there's no way to check the box in the Save dialog.

Save For Web and Export both embed the profile correctly - if you remember to check the box. But once you do, it sticks for the future.

It used to be the other way round - you couldn't use SFW if you wanted to embed the profile, you had to use Save As.

This has to be "collateral damage", they must have done something and accidentally broke this in the process. Luckily, Export/SFW is a fairly natural choice for PNG saving. I'll stick to that until they get this sorted.

[SteveWeinrebe]

I agree, D, the Save As behavior looks like a bug, though Adobe has made some changes to the way PNG conversions are handled in recent versions.

Re: the Export features, stay away from Quick Export as it appears not to embed the profile (nor is there an option in Export Preferences). Yes, stick with Export As (finally debugged in 2018, but not recommended in earlier versions), or the tried and true Save for Web.

[studio@echt-eppelt.com]

Hi D, hi Steve - thank you both for your replies - it works, is not the simple way like "save as" but it works.
Work is done and we can deliever on monday.
It´s a bug, but a crazy one - using "save as"  in bridge the png ist shown with the right tag in the meta - but with crazy colors. On "exporting as" it works fine.
Have a nice weekend! Christian

[Pulvertoastmann]

This is only partially true. V 21.0.1 actually does embed profiles - if it is anything else but sRGB.

Try converting any image to something like Rec.709 and the checkbox in the save as dialog for embedding the profile will come to life again (and the profile will actually be embedded when the image is saved). Reopen it, change it back to sRGB, try save as - checkbox is dead again.

If this is indeed a feature, I hate it. If it is a bug, please fix it!

[D Fosse]

My goodness. You're absolutely right. It's only sRGB that refuses to embed, any other profile embeds just fine.

I even tried to trick it by saving as Adobe RGB with profile, and then convert it to sRGB and resave. Uh-oh. The door was closed again.

Well, now we know it's a bug for sure, nobody in their right mind would call this a "feature".

Even Bridge has an issue with PNGs now. Even if you do save it with an embedded profile, using SFW/Export - Bridge still refuses to color manage it. This is very obvious with a wide gamut monitor. Now, Bridge converts all its thumbnails and previews to sRGB anyway, so color management in Bridge is just a simple sRGB > monitor profile across the board. It's the same conversion for everything. But not if it's a PNG! Then it refuses to perform this simple standard conversion, even if the profile is there.

This is crazy. What do they have against PNG at Adobe?

[gener7]

The best place to report this problem is here: https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/categories/photoshop_family_photoshop

Adobe product managers do monitor that forum regular and will answer questions.

Gene