Lightroom & Photoshop

Forgive me if this subject has been discussed before - I must have missed it.

I am using Lightroom 2.2 almost exclusively now and I have no complaints. Learning more everyday and it is quite a good program for me. I also have Photoshop CS2 (never upgraded once I started using LR). I am working on a PC with XP-pro. I calibrate with a Spyder.

However, when I send a photo from LR to CS2 the colors are never quite the same, most noticeably in the blues. I send to CS2 as a 8-bit PSD file, however I have also tried a 16-bit TIFF, with no difference to my eye.

I suspect that the root cause of the color variations might have to do with the different camera raw versions utilized by the two programs. Consequently, I just ordered the CS4 update so that should remove that variable in the future. (I am not quite sure how the camera raw would affect the PSD file but I upgraded anyway.)

I am also a little confused about the color management profiles used in both programs. I am trying to ensure that they are set the same but I am a little hazy on this subject - can't seem to find a definite area to set this in LR.

It could also be that I think LR is working with a 16-bit file and I send to CS as a 8-bit file.

I am having a hard time finding the tree in the forest. Too many variables and only a limited amount of brain matter.

How do you achieve identical color rendering with the two programs?

Thanks,

TomC

Hi Tom,

Most likely you are running into profile issues as you suspect. Check out this page on Flickr. It's the LR discussion group. This thread may help you, but if not there, do a search on your question in this group. You clearly are not alone, there are a lot of conversations on the subject.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/adobe_lightro...=LR+to+PS+color

You may also be running into an XP issue. Check this out from Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com/prophoto/download...lorcontrol.aspx

Let us know what you figure out.

Steve

Thanks Steve - great links.

I understand PS CS4 and LR2.2 are closer.

Another convenient way to encourage you to upgrade...

This might not be applicable to you but it is a cross-program problem for me... Most of my colour matching is for print purposes, and so I choose to have 10-20% (depending on output device) decreased colour saturation dialed in within Photoshop, (in Edit>Colour Settings) but I can't seem to do that in Lightroom. So if I output by eye from Lightroom, my results are usually a little under-done.

Wow - the link that Steve gave to Flickr paid off. A fellow there posted his preferred work flow method and it works.

Export from LR to PS a 16-bit PSD file in Pro Photo color format - do what you want in PS, then close / save to LR. Pull the two copies up in LR side x side and voila - the blues are identical; at least I can not tell the difference.

That's all it took.

I guess I do not need CS4 now - but too late, I have already ordered it. I should have asked the wetpixel'rs first - Oh well.

Thanks again Steve,

TomC