Color management question

[kyriakos]

Hi,

This is my first time posting but I love the website and have learned a lot from reading the forums...I have a long way to go with my retouching.

Ok, my question. I think I know the answer but just want some confirmation. After watching the color management tutorial last week, I switched Photoshop to ProPhoto RGB. However, all my images are in Adobe RGB.
When I open my pics I get a warning...can/should I convert the images to the new profile without harm? Can I go from a smaller gamut to a larger one?

Thank you,
Kyriakos

http://www.kyriakosphotography.com

[mistermonday]

Kyriakos, welcome to RetouchPro. You can convert from AdobeRGB to ProPhoto but it is a little like adding a decimal point and 4 zeros to a number that you had already rounded off to an integer. If the original image was captured in a very wide gamut device, the extra information would have been clipped when it was converted to AdobeRGB. If your plan now is to edit that AdobeRGB image and output to someone or some device in an color space with a smaller gamut than ProPhoto, then I see no value to make the conversion.
BTW, you are wise to have turned on those warning boxes in the Color Settings.
Regards, Murray

[Boneappetit]

Hi Kyriakos: Here is a link to a great tutorial, which contains nice info on color setting.
It can help. https://www.digitalphotoshopretouchi...beauty-retouch

Have fun!

[kyriakos]

Great! Thank you for the information.

[Boneappetit]

No problem! Glad to help...

[andrewrodney]

Zero reason to convert from Adobe RGB to ProPhoto (and some good reasons not to). Once you’ve rendered an image in a color space, going from a smaller to larger space buys you nothing unless you have to composite data together (then you have to in order to maintain the color appearance). Going bigger to smaller, no issue.

This may help:
http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/pdf...p_colspace.pdf

[kyriakos]

Thanks Andrew.
Your tutorial was excellent.

[blumesan]

I switched Photoshop to ProPhoto RGB. However, all my images are in Adobe RGB.

I think it depends on what image files you are talking about. If you are referring to jpeg images, the answers above apply.

However if you are talking about RAW image files (where the camera has been set to produce AdobeRGB output), the RAW files are unaffected by this setting. If you are using Adobe ACR to convert the RAW files it is a simple matter to set the output of the converter to ProPhoto and then it will cause no confllict with your chosen workspace in Photoshop. You will benefit from the larger color space and, if necessary, you can later convert to a smaller space on output.