Colour issue with Keyshot, Photoshop & the web.

mikejb · May 10, 2018, 09:15:01 AM

I'm beyond frustrated that I just cannot get what I'm looking at in Keyshot to look the same either in Photoshop or when uploaded to the web. Everything looks great in Keyshot, but when I import the rendered image into Photoshop, or upload it directly to the web, the colour is desaturated/shifted.

I know what some of you may be thinking; "sRGB!"

OK, here's my setup;

My monitor is calibrated on a fortnightly basis.
I have Photoshop CC (19.1.1) working colour space set to sRGB.
Keyshot (7.3) by default outputs renders in the sRGB color space, or so I'm led to believe.

So, as far as I can tell, if Keyshot is rendering sRGB images, and my Photoshop working space is also sRGB, then when I import a keyshot render into PS, there should be no difference, right? Not for me! And that even before uploading to the web.

Also, the Keyshot image looks fine, both in the real time view and looking at the final render in several image viewers I've tried, when I upload that (presumably sRGB image) to the web, it looks washed out just like when I import it into Photoshop. I've tried rendering out in TIFF, PNG, JPG and PSD, all with the same result.

What am I missing here? Please could some kind soul help me out?!

Furniture_Guy · May 10, 2018, 12:53:15 PM

For the web images, what browser are you using?

https://www.keyshot.com/forum/index.php?topic=20978.msg89026#msg89026

Furniture_Guy · May 10, 2018, 12:55:00 PM

Are you using 'color management' in the KeyShot preferences?

Furniture_Guy · May 10, 2018, 12:58:48 PM

https://www.keyshot.com/resources/learning/quick-tips/

Number 34

Furniture_Guy · May 10, 2018, 01:16:22 PM

https://www.keyshot.com/forum/index.php?topic=21346.msg90820#msg90820

mikejb · May 10, 2018, 01:57:09 PM

Thank you for taking the time to reply, Furniture Guy, I appreciate it. To answer you questions:

"For the web images, what browser are you using?"
My main browser is Chrome, but I have also tried Firefox, Safari, Opera, and IE. Internet Explorer is the only browser that displays the image the same as Keyshot. I believe IE is not colour managed.

"Are you using 'color management' in the KeyShot preferences?"
No, because Keyshot already outputs images in the sRGB color space by default, which is what I also have the Photoshop color space set to.

Now, an interesting thing I forgot to mention: I usually like to export my images from Photoshop using the "Export As" function. Now, when I enter the 'export as' section the image looks exactly like the Keyshot version, however, as soon as I tick the "embed color profile" box, the image goes back to the desaturated version.

Even before I upload the images onto the web, the problem is there in Photoshop: the imported image rendered from Keyshot looks desaturated, even though my PS colorspace is sRGB and even though Keyshot exports in sRGB.

So confused!

Furniture_Guy · May 10, 2018, 02:17:31 PM

So if you open an image in Photoshop and select 'Document Profile' in the lower left corner pop-up menu, it says sRGB?

Is 'Convert to sRGB' selected in the Photoshop Export Preferences?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpdBXMt2Mms

mikejb · May 10, 2018, 02:37:29 PM

"So if you open an image in Photoshop and select 'Document Profile' in the lower left corner pop-up menu, it says sRGB?"

Yes. I've just made a very quick render and attached it to this post. This image, in the the Keyshot realtime render window, and export render window, looks fine, but once it is imported into my Photoshop sRGB workspace it looks washed out. Photoshop document profile states the attached image in sRGB.

mikejb · May 10, 2018, 02:40:29 PM

Just to add, the image I uploaded above, also looks (on my monitor at least!) washed out compared to how it looks inside Keyshot in all browsers I've tried except IE.

Furniture_Guy · May 10, 2018, 02:56:23 PM

OK, so I understand...

I downloaded the image, brought it into Photoshop, checked that it has sRGB as the imbedded profile. Then I brought it up in the Export As dialog box and it doesn't matter if I check or uncheck the two 'Color Space' options, the color doesn't change in the preview at all..

Furniture_Guy · May 10, 2018, 03:01:41 PM

Geez. Exported out the image in Photoshop, opened in Chrome, Firefox and Safari (I'm on a Mac) and it is EXACTLY the same...

Furniture_Guy · May 10, 2018, 03:08:55 PM

If you bring in a KeyShot png to Photoshop and don't color manage it then go to Edit > Assign Profile and select Working RGB (sRGB) and then toggle the preview on and off, does the image change?

mikejb · May 10, 2018, 03:12:39 PM

Quote" I brought it up in the Export As dialog box and it doesn't matter if I check or uncheck the two 'Color Space' options, the color doesn't change in the preview at all"

Well, using the exact same image I attached above, if I do NOT check "embed color profile" it looks exactly the same as it does inside Keyshot. If I do tick the 'embed color profile' box, then the image immediately desaturates!

Quote"Geez. Exported out the image in Photoshop, opened in Chrome, Firefox and Safari (I'm on a Mac) and it is EXACTLY the same..."

It does look exactly the same in all the browsers you mentioned, EXCEPT in Internet Explorer. In I.E. it looks exactly the same as Keyshot.

Quote"If you bring in a KeyShot png to Photoshop and don't color manage it then go to Edit > Assign Profile and select Working RGB (sRGB) and then toggle the preview on and off, does the image change?"

No, the color stays exactly the same.

Do you have a wide gamut monitor? Maybe my display is the problem (NEC PA301W)?

Furniture_Guy · May 10, 2018, 03:30:21 PM

I don't think it's the monitor...

Why would the image CHANGE in the 'Export As' box by just selecting the 'Embed Color Profile' before it is even viewed in any browser? So I guess it doesn't matter if 'Convert to sRGB' is selected or not?

mikejb · May 10, 2018, 03:47:06 PM

"So I guess it doesn't matter if 'Convert to sRGB' is selected or not?"

No, it doesn't, and I'm guessing part of the reason is because the Keyshot image I'm importing into my PS sRGB workspace is already in sRGB.

Take a look at the attached image. I loaded up Photoshop, then the render from Keyshot, and also overlaid Keyshot rendering that very same image. You should be able to make out that the PS image is desaturated compared to the exact same image in Keyshot.

Now, a very interesting thing I just noticed is that when I took this screenshot (I pressed the print screen key and then pasted the image into PS) the screenshot itself got desaturated! I think I may be at a point where I'll need to get someone here in person at my home to show me what the hell I'm doing wrong!