Picture Colour Discrepancy

[bonaccord]

I have been building a wedding album and decided the best tool to lay out my images would be InDesign. I have created a layout and look that I am happy with, and I would now like to take my images to my lab to be printed, but I can’t find a method of exporting that matches my quality needs. No matter what I do, the exported images don’t look the same as the base image.

I have uploaded an example of my findings here.

http://www.bonaccord.com.au/WebGarrage/ColourComparison.png

The image on the left is my original JPEG. On the right is my InDesign export.

Original Images: JPEG and PSD, RGB, Adobe RGB (1998) profile.
Lab Requirements: JPEG, RGB, Adobe RGB (1998) profile.

Things I have tried:
Exporting as an EPS – Importing into Photoshop.
Exporting as an EPS – Importing into Illistrator
Exporting as a PDF – Importing into Photoshop
Exporting as a JPG.

Things I checked:
Turning on Colour Profile Adobe RGB (1998) in InDesign.
Ensuring I’m exporting as RGB.


None of these things seamed to give me the results that I was looking for and I’m really not looking forward to cropping and resizing my pictures all over again in photoshop. That would be a nightmare. I’m sure there must be a way to do it in InDesign and that I must have just missed some vital check box.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

[bonaccord]

Sorry, the image on the right is the origional, the slightly desaturated image on the left is the exported version.

 

[senjinpojskic]

First make sure that both programs run on same color management settings.
This is one way to solve your problem without having to export anything.
Simply try copying (if youre using WIN OS, CTRL+C) object in InD and paste it (CTRL+V) into PS. However, you first need to create new file in PS with exact dimensions and resolution. Mind that both programs !!must!! have same color managment settings, in your case this would be Adobe RGB (1998), or else you might end up with same problem you have now. Pasted object will be recognised as vector smart object.

senja

 

[apepp]

...yes, verify your color management settings, synchronize the settings in Abobe Bridge if you have it...

Andrew

 

[apepp]

...also in indesign ensure your transparency blend space is RGB if you are wanting RGB output, if you apply drop shadows, opacity etc in a cmyk blend space on RGB elements, everything on that page will probably be converted to your cmyk working space...

...in your example posted it very much looks like your exported file from indesign is possibly cmyk...

...blend space is found under edit > transparency blend space...

Andrew

 

[apepp]

...it is good practice to have your color settings for Adobe applications synchronized using the Adobe Bridge application...


RGB
***Exporting to PDF 1.3 (Acrobat 4) PDF - (Indesign RGB Blend Space)***
This occurs when exporting to PDF 1.3 with 'no color conversion' enabled...

...if you are using transparency effects such as drop shadows on only ONE image, this will effect the WHOLE page when setting the blend space in Indesign to RGB, EVERYTHING on that page will become RGB (including cmyk, grey images + elements made in Indesign as native cmyk colours). The result is converted to the RGB working color space (typically Adobe RGB 1998 for print) which is set in your color settings (synchronized in Bridge)...

...if you have NO effects (drop shadows etc) then the source cmyk and rgb images and the native cmyk elements are left UNTOUCHED and will include the source tagged profiles...

***Exporting to PDF 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 (Acrobat 5, 6, 7) PDF - (Indesign RGB Blend Space)***
This occurs when exporting to PDF 1.4 and higher with 'no color conversion' enabled...

...these formats support transparency and therefore no flattening is required (but will need to be when put through a postscript rip that supports in-rip flattening), the result of mixed cmyk, grey + rgb images (even with dropshadows) and native cmyk elements is left UNTOUCHED in the resulting PDF (a mixed rgb, grey + cmyk PDF)...


CMYK
***Exporting to PDF 1.3 (Acrobat 4) PDF - (Indesign CMYK Blend Space)***
This occurs when exporting to PDF 1.3 with 'no color conversion' enabled...

...if you are using transparency effects such as drop shadows on only ONE image, this will effect the WHOLE page when setting the blend space in Indesign to CMYK, EVERYTHING on that page will become CMYK (including RGB images + RGB elements made in Indesign as native RGB colours, grey images are left grey). The result is converted to the CMYK working color space which is set in your color settings (synchronized in Bridge)...

...if you have NO effects (drop shadows etc) then the source cmyk, rgb + grey images and the native cmyk + RGB elements are left UNTOUCHED and will include the source tagged profiles...


***Exporting to PDF 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 (Acrobat 5, 6, 7) PDF - (Indesign CMYK Blend Space)***
This occurs when exporting to PDF 1.4 and higher with 'no color conversion' enabled...

...these formats support transparency and therefore no flattening is required (but will need to be when put through a postscript rip that supports in-rip flattening), the result is mixed cmyk, grey + rgb images (even with dropshadows) and native cmyk + RGB elements left UNTOUCHED in the resulting PDF (a mixed rgb, grey + cmyk PDF)...


...to add to all the above, your display may go lighter when applying dropshadows to grey images, but the output percentage values are not affected. It is purely a preview/screen anomaly...

...just remember that if you apply effects to elements in an RGB blend space it will be converted to RGB if you have to flatten the PDF (Acrobat 4 - 1.3), not good for your workflow if your output is intended to be CMYK, because CMYK elements are shifted to RGB and then back again to CMYK in your rip, this will likely distort colours...

...hope you have understood the above, and best of luck!! happy new year for 2007!!!

Andrew

 

[bonaccord]

Thanks for your help guys. I tried what you suggested, but ended up with the same results. I did though, finally figure it out myself.

What happened was I changed my colour profile in the “colour settings” section of PS but didn’t realise I then needed to hit “convert to profile”. Once I did this, I was able to export my image from ID no problems.

Thanks again for all your help.