Here is the scenario:
• My monitor is color-calibrated using Spyder X.
• I have a 16-bit TIFF image in Photoshop.
o Working space is set to sRGB.
o Image color profile is sRGB.
o View -> Proof colors is turned off.
o I export the image to JPG (or PNG, makes no difference for this scenario) with export option embed color profile “sRGB IEC61966-2.1”.
• The resulting JPG looks exactly the same as in Photoshop when displayed in the following applications, which are known to respect embedded color profiles:
o Chrome
o Firefox
o Lightroom
o Bridge
o …and if I open the exported JPG in Photoshop it displays correctly, exactly as the TIFF file.
• IG is configured, under Settings -> Image -> Color management, to use color profile sRGB (and to apply it to images without an embedded color profile, which isn’t the case here).
Despite that, the image appears dull and de-saturated when displayed in IG. I have to conclude that IG is not respecting the embedded color profile.
Here is a screen shot showing my image in question, in three programs. At upper right is Photoshop (color-managed), at lower right is Chrome (also color-managed), and at left is IG.
Note that, as per the IG title bar, IG
does recognize that color profile sRGB is embedded, and I have confirmed this by examining EXIF data; the embedded color profile is sRGB IEC61966-2.1. But it's not respecting it.
This page contains a color swatch image that can be used to test whether an application respects embedded ICC profiles:
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59880925 IG fails that test. (The result of the test is Option 3, for which the recommendation is: “Stop using that application to look at photos.” I am dismayed by that recommendation, hence this post.)
I have tried many variations to try to get IG to display correctly, and none of them work:
• Reconfigure IG so that it apples the color profile for my monitor (which, as I’ve said, is color-calibrated with Spyder X). No difference – dull, de-saturated image; wrong colors.
• Reconfigure IG so that the color profile is “None”. No difference – dull, de-saturated image; wrong colors.
• Use a different monitor entirely (actually I tried three): No difference – dull, de-saturated image, wrong colors, from IG, regardless of monitor.
So, my conclusion is that either (a) IG’s color management does not work, or (b) it has to be configured in some not-obvious way to work, or (c) I am overlooking something.
Any insight or advice would be appreciated!