Images in Library and Development module look different

[skybluenova]

Hello all,

I know a kinda similar question has been asked a while ago. Still, I think that I do have quite different issues.

First of all, I have a brand new installation of Lightroom, version 2015.8

I imported a PNG file into Lr (camera: Pentax K-S1) and enhanced the image a bit. What I got is this:

That's quite a huge difference, isn't it? I have a feeling that some of the development settings are taken over to the library module, and some are not.

Contrary to this thread: Lightroom Library / Develop Modules Look Different , when I export the image it looks as it should, namely like it looks like in the Development Module.

To make things more confusing: If I use the "second window" button, depending on which monitor I drag the window onto, it suddenly changes its look between Library Module image and Development Module image, as you can see here:

The second window is placed a little bit more on the left screen. When I drag the second window a few pixels to the right screen,

it changes its look suddenly to this:

Just to make this clear beforehand, both monitors are exactly the same type, colorspace etc. And any differences still would not explain the obvious differences between Library and Development Module.

Can anybody tell how I could remedy those issues?
If you need more information, I will gladly provide any help.

Best,

Dennis

[skybluenova]

I have just discovered that, if I use Lr completely on the right monitor, all Modules look the same as they should.

That's interesting, but how can this be? I would understand if the modules would look different on different monitors, I don't have a professional setup here. But if using the left monitor the behavior is as described above, if using the right monitor all is as it should be.

Left monitor:

Right monitor:

Is it possible that Lightroom is assuming different color spaces for it's Modules? The Library module has the color space of the left monitor, and the Development module has the color space of the right monitor? Very strange, indeed.

Any ideas?

[skybluenova]

After some fiddling, I figured out that the color profile of the right monitor has been reset to its default setting.

As soon as I did set both monitors to the same color profile (sRGB), Lr works as expected.

So the solution is: If using a multi-monitor setup, make sure to check your color profile settings twice

(I still do not understand why, on the same monitor with the other one deactiveted, Library and Development Module looked different. Seems more like a bug to me than any feature I could imagine)

[Per Berntsen · Accepted solution]

You have a defective monitor profile, probably for both monitors. Although the right monitor may display the image correctly, the yellow histogram is a clear indication of a bad profile. The histogram should be a neutral gray.

The monitor profile is served to Lightroom by the OS, so this is a Windows problem.

As a (temporary) fix, you can set the monitor profile to sRGB (Adobe RGB for wide gamut monitors).

Press the Windows key + R, type colorcpl in the box and press Enter.

Set the profile to sRGB (or Adobe RGB, it the monitor is wide gamut) as shown in the screenshots below. Make sure to check Use my settings for this device.

Then repeat for the other monitor.

You should now ideally calibrate both monitors with a hardware calibrator, although sRGB/Adobe RGB may be good enough, depending on your requirements.

[skybluenova]

Thank you Per, that's exactly what I did now. Still, I do not understand why on the same monitor, for the Library Module another color profile is used than for the Development Module by Lightroom?

[Per Berntsen]

Are you saying that after setting the monitor profile to sRGB, there is still a difference between Library and Develop?

Is the histogram now a neutral gray?

Lightroom only knows about one monitor profile, the one that is set as default in Windows. (for that particular monitor)

Internally, LR uses Adobe RGB for Library and ProPhoto for Develop as working spaces, but that's a different story.

Images will still display identically in Library and Develop.

[skybluenova]

Per BerntsenAre you saying that after setting the monitor profile to sRGB, there is still a difference between Library and Develop?

No, after setting both monitors to sRGB, there is no difference anymore.

Is the histogram now a neutral gray?

Yes.

LR uses Adobe RGB for Library and ProPhoto for Develop as working spaces, but that's a different story.

Strange. As you can see in the first post, as long as the 2nd monitor was not set to sRGB, Library and Devekopment modules were displaying the image quite different. Is there any other explanation for this? As soon as I set both monitors to sRGB, everything is working fine. However, problem solved, I will have a deeper look into the circumstances first the next time before posting.

Thank you very much for your input!

Cheers

Dennis

[Per Berntsen]

as long as the 2nd monitor was not set to sRGB, Library and Devekopment modules were displaying the image quite different. Is there any other explanation for this?

I can't explain this behavior. I use two monitors myself, but the second monitor is an old Dell that I haven't bothered to calibrate.

Maybe D Fosse​ has an idea about this.

[Per Berntsen]

I should add that Windows 10 is known to install low quality profiles from monitor manufacturers when installing Windows updates. These profiles are surprisingly often defective right out of the box.

So you should keep an eye on what monitor profiles are set as default, particularly after a Windows update.

[D Fosse]

skybluenova  wrote

Still, I do not understand why on the same monitor, for the Library Module another color profile is used than for the Development Module by Lightroom?

The thing is that a monitor profile doesn't actually do anything to the monitor. It doesn't adjust anything. It's just a description, nothing else, and what it describes - in great detail - is the monitor's actual behavior in its current state.

This description is used in a standard color space conversion, from the source color space and into the monitor color space. That's what all icc profiles do. The numbers are recalculated in order to maintain color appearance (otherwise they would shift).

In Lightroom the source color space is Adobe RGB in Library, but linear ProPhoto in Develop. So we have two different conversions, two different calculations with different sets of numbers. A bad profile may get one right but fail with the other.

And what it all boils down to is this: If the profile is not accurate, then the conversion goes wrong and the application displays incorrectly. The profile has to be accurate and strictly to spec. A lot of manufacturer profiles, distributed through Windows Update or otherwise, aren't.

The only way to make sure is to use a good calibrator. Or use a generic profile like sRGB, which won't be entirely accurate, but OTOH basically sound. That's often close enough for many people.

[Per Berntsen]

as long as the 2nd monitor was not set to sRGB, Library and Devekopment modules were displaying the image quite different. Is there any other explanation for this?

The way I read the OP's question, is that after having set the monitor profile to sRGB for monitor 1, Library and Develop would still display differently on that monitor, until he set the profile to sRGB on monitor 2 as well.

But may be I misunderstood?

[D Fosse]

Well, if that's the case I would double check the primary / secondary configuration. It's not always what you think...

It could also be that the application is just using the wrong profile. ACR is known to do this occasionally, and I also remember a couple of Photoshop cases. Switching main and secondary fixed it in most cases.

[skybluenova]

Indeed, monitor 1 has already been set to sRGB when the above issues

occurred. In Development Mode, monitor 1 showed a greyscale main image, but

a sepia - colored Navigator image and a sepia - colored histogram. On

monitor 2, main image and Navigator image were fine (grey), with the

histogram still sepia - colored.

After setting monitor 2 to sRGB also, everything looked as it should like

on both monitors.

Cheers

Dennis

Am 22.02.2017 16:50 schrieb "Per Berntsen" <forums_noreply@adobe.com>:

Images in Library and Development module look different created by Per

Berntsen <https://forums.adobe.com/people/Per+Berntsen> in *Photoshop

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