Lightroom CC Export Lightens My Photo

[vleo512]

Lately when I export images from TIF to JPG, the JPG comes out a lot lighter.  I've searched several forums but have not found a real solution.  A lot of them talk about monitor calibration (which makes no sense because the difference I see is on the one screen).

I've reset my develop settings and export presets, and tried exporting with the graphics processor enabled and disabled.  I've tried exporting to different formats (TIF, DNG, JPG, etc.) different color spaces (sRGB, Adobe RGB, ProPhoto), and different PPI resolutions (72, 240, 300). I get the same results.

It really makes a difference with food and skin tones.  What else can be causing this and how do I fix it?

 

[ManiacJoe]

Mac or Windows? Which version?

Which exact version (x.y.z) of Lightroom?

Which picture viewer are you using to view the image outside of Lightroom?

[Mohit Goyal]

Also, calibrate your monitor color profile to its default.

Thanks,

Mohit

[vleo512]

Windows 10, Lightroom version: CC 2015.8 [ 1099473 ]

I see the same problem in Windows Photo viewer.  However, what I'm talking about is seeing the difference directly within Lightroom. 

I took a screen shot of the pairs, pasted them into Powerpoint and made a JPG of each pair so I could paste them into this forum.  The system wasn't letting me add a TIF to the forum (at least not after 5 minutes or so).

[Just Shoot Me]

You more than likely have a corrupted monitor profile. Set your monitor profile to sRGB to test.

[vleo512]

I don't really understand why the monitor profile would be the cause since I'm seeing both images together on the same screen, in the same program.  However, I followed your recommendation and reset the monitor profile to sRGB.  I am still getting the same lighter JPG when I export.  I even downloaded the Nvidia ICC profile.  That one didn't change anything either.  Still getting the lighter color image when I make a JPG.  I think this is an issue with Adobe Lightroom, I just don't know what setting it could be. 

[Per Berntsen]

vleo512 wrote:

I see the same problem in Windows Photo viewer.  However, what I'm talking about is seeing the difference directly within Lightroom.

How do you see the difference in Lightroom?

Are you importing the exported jpg back into Lightroom, and it's lighter than the original in Library?

And does the original look the same in Library and Develop, or is there a difference?

When you set the monitor profile to sRGB, did you do as in the screenshots below, with Use my settings for this device checked?

[vleo512]

OK folks.  I figured it out.  My import preset is being applied twice.  Once when I first bring a raw image into LR and once again when I export a TIF file I edited in Photoshop into a JPG for sharing. 

I often keep final JPGs with the TIF and raw file in the same folder. Sometimes I want to see the edits I made and sometimes I decide I don't like them and want to start over with the raw file.  Sometimes I just need to retrieve the JPG for another use. 

It looks like if I set up LR to automatically apply my preset to bulk images when I import them, it will also be applied when I synchronize a folder.  Is there any way to prevent the synchronize function from applying an import preset short of turning it off when you're not importing a large batch?

[ManiacJoe · Accepted solution]

An import that starts from the Synchronize dialog is still an import, with all the import settings used.

You best bet is to always display the Import dialog so that you can see what is about to be done for/to you.

[David_Alli]

The color is off and the image is lighter when I export to desktop. In reading this feed, I don't understand how you fixed it.

It seems the app has changed. Could you give me directions on how to fix this problem?

[Per Berntsen]

Please post screenshots that illustrate the issue.

What color space did you choose in the export dialog?

In what application are you viewing the exported image?

[David_Alli]

I'm using sRGB exporting it to desktop on my MacBook Air. I'm viewing it in the Preview

[Per Berntsen]

Since I don't use a Mac, I'm somewhat on thin ice here - and I'm not sure if Preview is color managed.

But assuming that Lightroom is still displaying correct colors, and that Preview is color managed, it could be a bug in Preview's color management, introduced with an update.

It could also be a defective monitor profile - try setting it to sRGB, and see if that fixes the issue. If it does, you should ideally calibrate the monitor with a hardware calibrator.

See http://www.lightroomqueen.com/articles-page/how-do-i-change-my-monitor-profile-to-check-whether-its-...

[David_Alli]

I tried what you said and it didn't work. Thank you for your help.

[David_Alli]

It turns out that this problem is with the Apple Preview app and the Apple Photos app. The app permanently distorts the LR exported photos.   I called Apple and they say there's nothing that can be done. I did download the images into googles Picasa and the images matched the images displayed in LR. It also seems that the Apple Preview and Apple Photo apps permanently distort the photos because when I upload them to social media they have the same distortion.  I hope this helps anyone having this problem.