Lightroom export is darker

Buddy · 3 Apr 2017 at 18:11

I use to have an old version of Lightroom. Whenever I use to export images there was a noticeable darkening of images. I since formatted and reinstalled windows and signed up to the current Lightroom subscription. The problem was significantly better, it didn't bother me anymore.

Now it bothers me. It's like the shadows and contrast bump up. Incredibly irritating when you spend some time developing an image only for it to turn out different.

What I have tried:

1. basic monitor calibration
2. opening image in different software. For example the browser.

Is this an issue with colour profiles? If I look under this setting there is a different profile for different things.

I export sRGB ofc.

And · 3 Apr 2017 at 21:50

When I do use LR, I right click and hit 'edit in...' choosing PS. No darkening here (just tried). Screen, PS, LR etc set to Adobe RGB (2011 MBP). Files are 16 bit. I never export. Everything converted to sRGB when I'm happy.

To be honest I use Canon's DPP 99.9% of the time now as I prefer the colour reproduction, noise handling and sharpening. Workflow essentially the same except with DPP it's 'Transfer to Photoshop'.

Horses for courses and all that.

Buddy · 4 Apr 2017 at 13:06

And said:
When I do use LR, I right click and hit 'edit in...' choosing PS. No darkening here (just tried). Screen, PS, LR etc set to Adobe RGB (2011 MBP). Files are 16 bit. I never export. Everything converted to sRGB when I'm happy.

To be honest I use Canon's DPP 99.9% of the time now as I prefer the colour reproduction, noise handling and sharpening. Workflow essentially the same except with DPP it's 'Transfer to Photoshop'.

Horses for courses and all that.

Thanks will try that tonight. When you say you've got them set as Adobe rgb is that under import settings?

Also once you're done with an image in Photoshop and then need it for other programs or online (say flickr) what do you Do? Save As? As you're saying you don't export

And · 4 Apr 2017 at 21:03

Display settings and programs iirc.

PS is my end game, so images get saved down (save as, quality 12, baseline standard) as sRGB jpegs to one of two folders (one for flickr, one for facebook/twitter). DPP is much like LR where you can (non-destructively) save changes to images. Images are transferred to (DPP) or edited in (LR) PS.

In my mind it makes sense that if you shoot in AdobeRGB then do everything else in AdobeRGB but that doesn't mean it's right, it's just how I work.

Jase · 5 Apr 2017 at 09:17

And said:
In my mind it makes sense that if you shoot in AdobeRGB then do everything else in AdobeRGB but that doesn't mean it's right, it's just how I work.

Unless you have misunderstood something you should be shooting in RAW in which case you are not shooting in AdobeRGB.

Holst1981 · 5 Apr 2017 at 19:57

I had this with windows 7 as it didn't support the profiles for my screen (color monkey)

Windows 10 doesn't show this fault.

Buddy · 5 Apr 2017 at 21:11

And said:
Display settings and programs iirc.

PS is my end game, so images get saved down (save as, quality 12, baseline standard) as sRGB jpegs to one of two folders (one for flickr, one for facebook/twitter). DPP is much like LR where you can (non-destructively) save changes to images. Images are transferred to (DPP) or edited in (LR) PS.

In my mind it makes sense that if you shoot in AdobeRGB then do everything else in AdobeRGB but that doesn't mean it's right, it's just how I work.

Amazing. I changed all settings to adobe 1998 (couldn't find 2011 version). Tried "save as" via PS same issue. However tried export and save as srgb as PNG file no loss of data or darkening.

Thanks mate!

Buddy · 28 Apr 2017 at 10:24

New problem.

I sharpen an image or parts of it with the touch up tool in LR. Edit it Photoshop and it loses considerable sharpness. There's no pixel peeping. It's very obvious. Looking back i think it's always been there.

I've tried comparing images 1:1. I'm well aware that LR uses an algorithm to predict the image when viewed "fit to screen" however I use the detail window and often zoomed in anyway as I use the brush. As advised earlier I've got all 3 - screen/ps/lr profiles set the same. What is odd is that when you 'Edit in' PS the drop in sharpness is immediately evident. So with that logic LR is the issue?

I'm tempted to just dump LR for another program if it wasn't for the fact I'm so use to it and it's quite powerful.

Jase · 3 May 2017 at 11:45

Buddy said:
New problem.

I sharpen an image or parts of it with the touch up tool in LR. Edit it Photoshop and it loses considerable sharpness. There's no pixel peeping. It's very obvious. Looking back i think it's always been there.

I've tried comparing images 1:1. I'm well aware that LR uses an algorithm to predict the image when viewed "fit to screen" however I use the detail window and often zoomed in anyway as I use the brush. As advised earlier I've got all 3 - screen/ps/lr profiles set the same. What is odd is that when you 'Edit in' PS the drop in sharpness is immediately evident. So with that logic LR is the issue?

I'm tempted to just dump LR for another program if it wasn't for the fact I'm so use to it and it's quite powerful.

Try not using the 'edit in' option and instead export it as a TIFF and editing that in photoshop. It's the method I use and a workflow I've been using for a while and can't say I've had any issues.

Check out the following guide for a good workflow :

Also there are much better ways to sharpen in Photoshop than lightroom.