Why is LR adding a pink edge/highlight on imported files?

[miner dave]

I'm in the process of scanning and importing a number of older 35mm slides.  For some reason, it apprears that Lightroom is adding a pink edge (or worse) over the top of the brightest edges or areas of some files.  I'm using an older microtek ScanMaker i800 scanner and the highlighting doesn't appear when previewing the files before import.  in the photo below there are a number of pink lines added to the brightest areas of the clouds.  In the second photo the boy's white shirt is almost entirely covered with the overlay.  What do I do to 1) prevent this from happening and/or 2) correct this in LR or PS?  Thanks,

[Per Berntsen]

Have you done any edits to these files in Lightroom?

Would it be possible for you to share one of the original files with us, like it came from the scanner - preferably the one with the white shirt. You can put it on Dropbox, and post a link to it here. If the original is a jpg, you might be able to post it here, the same way you posted the images above.

[miner dave]

Thanks for the quick response. I rescanned the image of the boy today using three different sets of scanning parameters and then imported them into LR on my desktop. It appears one set of controls may have eliminated the problem. I will scan some other slides that had problems. If the settings work on other slides I will let the forum know. If it doesn’t work I’ll post the files as requested below.

Thanks again,

David

[miner dave]

I’ve been trying different combinations of options in the scanning software and seemed to find one setting that if changed from “auto” to “none” seemed to work to eliminate the issue but today I scanned the slide below using different combinations of settings. The first photo is as it came from the scanner. The second after the same photo was imported into LR CC. Note the pink outlines on the edges of the rocks on the front right.

after import into LR

Appreciate any help or suggestions the forum members may have.

Thanks,

David Farnsworth

minerdwf@gmail.com

[Per Berntsen]

You cannot post images when replying by email, you have to visit the forum using a web browser.

Sorry for the late reply, I've been travelling the last week.

[miner dave]

Sorry about that. This is the file after importing into LR.

The following is the original scan.

[Per Berntsen]

I downloaded the file from the scanner, and when importing it in LR, it doesn't change at all.

The prime suspect is a develop preset being applied at import, but I can't imagine what develop setting would cause these pink outlines. LR uses red highlighting to flag clipped highlights, but does not use pink highlighting at all, as far as I know.

But the histogram is different for the two images you posted, which indicates that the image has been edited in LR - it seems that you have dragged the Highlights or the Whites slider to the left. I tried to replicate the pink outlines by editing, but wasn't able to do it.

Please post a screenshot of the entire Lightroom window with the image open in Develop, and the History panel visible on the left and the Basic panel visible on the right.

[Bob Somrak]

I have the exact same results as Per Berntsen.  Try resetting your screen calibration to sRGB.

[miner dave]

Screen shot of the develop module as imported.  As you can see there are extensive areas with the red highlighting which can be handled by reducing highlights or exposure.  The pink banding appears along the edges of the blowout areas but doesn't seem to be affected by any adjustments and the pink outline remains after these basic (exposure/highlights) adjustments.  I also checked the "Add During Import" settings to ensure that nothing was being done to the file during importing.  The only addition/adjustment was addition of a copyright to the metadata. 

As to screen calibration, I use an iMac and MacBook Pro, both with Apple calibrations, performed recently.  This problem occurs on both and has for a long time (I'm only now reaching out for help with it).  The pink banding also carries over to prints so it appears to me to be independent of monitor or calibration.

Thanks,

David

[Bob Somrak]

Open up your mac Display/Color preference and note what the present calibration is.  It will be highlighted.  Change it to sRGB temporarily and see what happens as a test.  I use a 2015 iMac and the import looks fine.

[Bob Somrak]

In addition to the above, our histograms are a little different.  You clipping indicator shows only some channels are clipped and I show full clipping.

[Per Berntsen]

If setting the monitor profile to sRGB doesn't help, try disabling the GPU. Go to Preferences > Performance and uncheck Use graphics processor.

Some general advice about scanning - disable any auto settings in the scanner software, and turn off sharpening.

Do not try to make the image look right at this point, a low contrast, flat rendering is ideal as a starting point for editing.

Try to get a histogram without any clipping of shadows and highlights. This can be hard with slide film, which has a very wide dynamic range. Depending of the D-max of your scanner, you may have to sacrifice shadow or highlight detail.

[D Fosse]

I could be wrong, but I think this looks like the kind of "pseudo-solarization" you can sometimes see when one channel hard clips just before the others. In some special circumstances you can even see this with raw files, if the clipping occurs in the sensor.

Did the OP try to rescan without clipping the highlights?

And I just have to ask: Why this extreme oversaturation?

[Bob Somrak]

Others, including myself, have imported the files WITHOUT the pink edges so I would think it was the OP's computer setup.  As far as the clipping the original slide may have been clipped.

[miner dave]

I've tried a variety of color profiles (including sRGB and Adobe 1998), none of which significantly changed the over exposure/saturation or affected the pink banding.  I also turned off the GPU, which had no affect.  I'm using a Windows based Microtek Scanmaker i800, at 4800 dpi and multiple scan lines.  Scans are saved, in TIF format, to a common disc and then imported into LR on my iMac.  If any of the "auto" or "custom" options are turned on in the Windows software, I tend to see more pink lines in the original scans but it doesn't happen in a consistent manner.  The pink banding is always limited to the brightest edges and doesn't appear in dark or underexposed scans.  I was usually shooting Kodak Ektachrome or Kodachrome slide film and the banding appears in scans of both films.  The over saturation appears frequently but can usually be adjusted out.

[Bob Somrak]

Your JPG file in Post #5 loads fine.  If you could upload an ORIGINAL TIFF scan to Dropbox or another file transfer service than maybe we could get a better handle of what is going on.

[miner dave]

Here's a link to the original scan which I hope will download for you.  Its very large so Google adds a virus warning but it was clean when uploaded.  GCNP as scanned.tif - Google Drive

My scanner software has three settings for dynamic range - full, auto, and custom.  Playing with the settings I've found that in most cases with very bright areas "auto" will always give the pink edge upon import.  "Full" works most of the time unless there are extreme differences in light and dark areas.  "Custom" works much the same as "full".  Any other of the auto adjust features have to be off to avoid the banding.  So to me it appears to be a blow-out issue that Lightroom must be adding to highlight those blown out areas but is somehow permanent instead of just a warning highlight.

Thanks,

[Bob Somrak · Accepted solution]

You file has an embedded profile called "Microtech Scanmaker i800  "      I imported the file in Photoshop and resaved the Tiff with the profile unchecked and the file looks ok in Lightroom and it doesn't have the ugly color casts and over saturation.  The original file would not even display in Mac Preview.!!!!  Apparently Lightroom and Mac Preview do not like the embedded profile.

Original file loaded in Photoshop

Original file in Lightroom

Original export dialog in Photoshop

Resaved file in Lightroom

[Per Berntsen]

The problem is caused by the color profile embedded by the scanner software - Microtek Scanmaker i800 / Positive Film.

I imported the tiff, and it showed the pink outlines in LR. Then I opened the image in Photoshop and converted the profile to Adobe RGB and saved the file, and the pink outlines disappeared in Lightroom.

So you need to either embed Adobe RGB or another standard profile in the scanning software, or if that's not possible, open the image in Photoshop or another image editor that lets you convert to profile, and do the conversion there,

Lightroom has a problem with the scanner profile, although Photoshop doesn't - it displayed the image without any pink outlines.

[miner dave]

GREAT!  Knew that someone would be able to identify the problem and offer a solution. 

Bob - Does LR offer the same ability to change the profile on export or otherwise?  Would save a step in cleaning up the scans I've already completed.

Per - I will check the scanner and see if I can change the imbedded profile there. 

I appreciate everyone's help and suggestions.

[Bob Somrak]

When you export a TIFF of this scan in Lightroom it just saves with the pink edges even though sRGB is specified.

[Per Berntsen]

You can choose a profile on Export, but I think the pink outlines would also be in the exported files, because the damage has already been done. What you can do (if you have Photoshop) is to select the file in Lightroom, press Cmd+E to edit in Photoshop, and choose Edit original. Convert the profile in PS, save and close the file, and the pink outlines will be gone in LR.