Lightroom Jpeg exports look over saturated when made desktop background and when uploaded to web. Why?

[Freelance_78]

My monitor is a Ben Q SW2700PT. It has been color calibrated using an X-rite i1 displayPro. I have altered the color management settings to utilize the profile I created during calibration and it has been set to default, and the box "use my settings" has been ticked.

I assume the image in lightroom is the color correct version since it is a color managed application. I am confused why when I make it a desktop background (the exported sRGB  JPEG version), it gets over saturated?

Also, how do I ensure others see my work online properly? I find when I post photos online in sites such as 500px, the over saturated look is the one that shows not the color managed one that I see in lightroom or when opened for viewing using firefox? Why is this? Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Cheers!

[Per Berntsen · Accepted solution]

Since you have a wide gamut monitor, you need to use color managed applications to view your work.

Non-color managed applications (like the Windows desktop, the Edge browser, Internet Explorer) will always display images over saurated on a wide gamut monitor. A solution for using an image on the desktop could be to lower the saturation in Lightroom before you export it. Might require some trial and error.

As for viewing your work online, use a color managed browser, which is practically any browser except Edge and IE.

Some sites will strip out the profile, so that the image displays over saturated. In that case, Firefox with Color management Mode set to 1 is the only browser that will display correctly. In Mode 1, it will assign sRGB to untagged images.

Also, how do I ensure others see my work online properly?

The only thing you can do is to export with the sRGB profile, and hope for the best.

Also, you can tell people not to use Edge and IE.

[Freelance_78]

Hi there,

Thanks for the reply!

If my photos will end up on the web, should i be using my monitor in srgb mode while editing in lightroom, then exporting as jpeg using the srgb profile? Would this be the best when editing for the web?

Then if my photos end will be at the printers, only then should i be using my monitor in argb mode?

Confused as to what setting my monitor should be in. Any suggestions welcome and thanks Per B. For your earlier response!

[Per Berntsen]

You shouldn't change the monitor profile, unless you suspect there is something wrong with it.

Since you have a wide gamut monitor, you may be seeing some colors that won't be reproducible in sRGB, and you can use Soft proofing in Lightroom to get an sRGB preview. While in Develop, press S, and choose sRGB from the dropdown. To get back to normal view, press S again.

There is no point in previewing in Adobe RGB, since your wide gamut monitor is already close to that color space.

As for printing, most printing companies want sRGB files. But you should ask the printer what they want.

[HPJ_Photography]

Hi,

I have recently purchased the same monitor and calibrated using the Spyder Pro 5.

I also noticed the over saturation when viewing my sRGB exported images in the standard windows 10 picture viewer.

I have started shoot weddings and am concerned that my clients won't be viewing what I believe I have edited. How do i ensure they see what I see?

I am very new to colour management and if I am honest it confuses the heck out of me. So an idiots guide would be great in response.

Cheers

[Per Berntsen]

Read post #1 in this thread, it pretty much answers your question.

You have a wide gamut monitor, so to avoid over saturation, you have to use only color managed programs to view your work.

The Windows 10 Photos app is not color managed, but there is a free alternative - Irfanview. You have to enable color management under Options > Properties/Settings. The latest version of ACDSee (20) is also color managed (not free).

I don't have Windows 10, but the Windows Photo Viewer is apparently color managed. It's hidden somewhere, so you have to search for it. You can also use Adobe Bridge.

I have started shoot weddings and am concerned that my clients won't be viewing what I believe I have edited. How do i ensure they see what I see?

Most people don't have wide gamut monitors - I'm not sure what the percentage is, but it's quite low.

So the majority of users have standard gamut monitors where over saturation wil not be a problem, but of course you have no control over how other people adjust their monitors, all you can do is to export with sRGB and hope for the best.

You can also tell your clients to use color managed programs to view your work, and if they're using a web browser, tell them to avoid using anything Microsoft. (Edge and Internet Explorer)

The safest web browser is Firefox, with Color management mode set to 1. This will assign sRGB to the image, if the profile has been stripped on the website. To set the Color management mode, type about:config in the address bar, then double-click the value next to Color management mode, and set it to 1.

[Roamingstill]

This is fantastic advice, solved my over saturated look to photos in Windows File Explorer. I downloaded Adobe Bridge and the Firefox browser, now all my images look as they do in Lightroom when viewed through the said programs.

Thanks.