Why is there a Significant Color Shift between Develop and Library Modes?

[Unknown_John]

I am constantly seeing a color shift....... But this color shift in the BLUE is unbeliveable...  What is causing this...  

If I spend time editing a photo to reach a perfect color and then export it and It Turns Color on me.... What good is LIGHTRoom?

Windows 10   Monitor is Color Calibrated with i1Display Pro

Library Module on the LEFT and Develop Module on the right.   

[johnrellis · Accepted solution]

If you're seeing the color shift within LR between the Develop and Library modules, that usually indicates your display is assigned a color profile that's incompatible with LR.  See this article for how to quickly troubleshoot and then correct the issue: http://www.lightroomqueen.com/articles-page/how-do-i-change-my-monitor-profile-to-check-whether-its-...

[Unknown_John]

John,

as I mentioned in my General reply, I will dig into your suggestion and double check everything. 

The Link you provided was developed in mid-2015, at least, as there were comments placed September of that year.   The only reason I reference this, is that the folks at X-Rite and I had a discussion about how there "used to be a problem" with certain settings..blablabla .. but there aren't any more...    I will know when I dig into this tonight... 

thank you! 

John

[johnrellis]

Large differences in color between Develop and Library is almost always the result of an incompatible, defective, or corrupt display profile.  It's very easy to diagnose, in just a couple minutes -- just assign the sRGB profile to the display, as described in the article. If there is no longer any difference, then the problem is very definitely the profile.

[D Fosse]

Why are these screenshots from Windows "Photos" - which as we all know is not color managed at all?

But yes, a difference between Library and Develop is a defective display profile. No display profiles are "incompatible" as such, but if they don't follow icc spec, Lightroom will choke. So depending on which calibration software was used, LUT/table-based and/or Version 4 profiles tend to be problematic. Either because they're more complex to begin with, or because the specification isn't well established.

If they are correctly written, Lightroom has no problems with any particular profile types.

[Unknown_John]

D Fosse,   Thanks for your response.  

To respond to the Photos viewer ...   I sort of tricked the process to get both images on a single file.     I displayed the image in the Develop Mode and captured a screen shot.  Then I displayed the image in the Library mode and captured a second screen shot.   then I opened up both images in Photos, placed them side by side and captured a third screen shot, which is what I attached to my original post.    YES ... there could be some color shifts in all of the "screen captures" but the whole point was to show there was a significant shift in color, which my convoluted process represented. 

Back to your comments....  I understand what you are saying.   And I think your reference is similar to what others have said... that there may be a Profile issue....  You mentioned Version 4 .... so has someone else...    you also referenced a complex profile or one that is not well established.    The "well established" issue triggers a thought...   (and you don't have to respond to this.... but regarding my conversations with X-Rite, could they have an opinion that their settings are "more established than they think?)   

Thank you  

[TheDigitalDog]

PhotoJohnWS  wrote

If I spend time editing a photo to reach a perfect color and then export it and It Turns Color on me.... What good is LIGHTRoom?

Windows 10   Monitor is Color Calibrated with i1Display Pro

Library Module on the LEFT and Develop Module on the right.  

First, there IS a difference in how LR produces previews in Develop versus all other modules. The visual differences should be rather small and you MUST view both at 100% (1:1) to correctly preview the data.

Next, you state: If I spend time editing a photo to reach a perfect color and then export it and It Turns Color on me

If you see a difference between Develop at 100% (the most accurate way to be previewing the image) and another application outside LR after export, then that application isn’t color managed! Do check the display profile as suggested, do not let the software calibrating and producing an ICC profile to build what is called a V4 (Version 4) ICC Profile (check that applications settings/preferences).

[Unknown_John]

DigitalDog...... Thanks....    I am including a copy of your response here:

If you see a difference between Develop at 100% (the most accurate way to be previewing the image) and another application outside LR after export, then that application isn’t color managed! Do check the display profile as suggested, do not let the software calibrating and producing an ICC profile to build what is called a V4 (Version 4) ICC Profile (check that applications settings/preferences).

I notice you referenced "AFTER" export and not "In the Library Mode" .... it's interesting that you state that, because later into the evening, I noticed that there are actually THREE colors not just two .....  1) Develop Mode in Lightroom    2) Library Mode in Lightroom and 3) in Windows Photos 'after' exporting.    All three are different.  If I remember correctly, the Library mode represented the most significant difference of the three. 

Following your advice as well as the advice of others, I will look into the Version 4 ICC Profile issue.....  and  will update  this post after my findings. 

Thanks for your help!

John 

[TheDigitalDog]

PhotoJohnWS  wrote

I notice you referenced "AFTER" export and not "In the Library Mode" .... it's interesting that you state that, because later into the evening, I noticed that there are actually THREE colors not just two .....  1) Develop Mode in Lightroom    2) Library Mode in Lightroom and 3) in Windows Photos 'after' exporting. 

Just forget Windows Photo; not color managed. That it doesn’t match what you see in LR is to be expected.

[millysphotos]

It still appears chronically when uploaded to Dropbox as well

[johnrellis]

It still appears chronically when uploaded to Dropbox as well

How are you viewing the photo that's been uploaded to Dropbox? Through a Web browser? If you're on Windows and using Edge (or Internet Explorer), those programs are not color-managed (they don't obey the color profile assigned to your display and to the photos), and they won't show correct colors. You'll need a color-managed browser like Chrome (Windows and Mac), Safari (Mac), or Firefox (but you have to turn on color-management explicitly).

[millysphotos]

I've uploaded through the Dropbox program and Google chrome. When I transfer the files to my phone by usb it still is very visable. I have edited the files through Photoshop and it was absolutely fine

[Unknown_John]

I am placing a general response to this issue and then I will respond to each of you that helped.... Thanks! 

(btw.....I work nights, so I am at least 10 hours or so behind the last responses.) 

Since calibrating both monitors in early January of this year, I have had color issues.   I have two monitors.  One is an older but still fairly sturdy laptop that was originally loaded with Windows 7 and a Dell St24 monitor that was purchased about the same time.  Mid last year, I gutted the Laptop and a full version of Windows 10 was installed.  Color issues started almost immediately and in early January I purchased the i1Display Pro by X-Rite. 

The 1st issue was that the "old and loved" photo viewer that I elected to continue using after the Windows 10 install, would not recognize the newly calibrated monitors and the colors went absolutely crazy.   After abandoning that viewer and using Microsoft Photos to view exported images, the situation improved but it still was not great.   The final product out of Lightroom tends to have a heavier dose of "Green Tint" when viewed in Photos.  It is significantly noticed in an image with lots of light complexion skin tones visible.  It's not something that was significant in, lets say a group photo.     

In mid January, I took this complaint back to customer service at X-Rite.   Their explanation was that this is a Microsoft issue and not a Calibration issue or an issue with the unit I purchased.  I still have a problem with that explanation, because as a photographer, we want our clients to see the colors we produce, and if we are calibrating to a standard that most people with a typical store purchased Windows 10 computer do not have, then there is a bit of a problem, correct?  

Anyway, while on the phone with X-Rite customer service, we went through a totally new calibration of both monitors, step by step.  This is where I need to go back and evaluate the suggestions you good people have given me and see if something has 'slipped off  track' or see if there is a "difference of opinion" between your suggestions and the calibration instructions I got from X-Rite.    

Thanks!