Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Bad ramifications of color profile used in previews

It seems that Aperture's choice of color profile for its previews has some rather wide implications. In a RAW workflow, previews are assigned an Adobe RGB profile. In a JPG workflow, previews aren't generated at all at first (which makes sense - no need to create a JPG from a JPG), but they are created once you edit a photo. Then once again, the preview is assigned an Adobe RGB profile, irrespective of the color profile of the original photo. This all kind of makes sense. Presumably, Adobe RGB is the same as, or close to, the color profile Aperure uses internally.


The problem comes when photos are "shared". With the Aperture preference set to "Share previews with iLife and iWork", Aperture generates an XML file that can be used by external programs. This XML file points the external program at the previews (or the original in the case of an unedited JPG). Then photos can be picked up in various places:


* In mail.app via the Photo Browser.

* In any app via the Media section in Finder.

* On an Apple TV via the "Choose photos to share" option in iTunes.


BUT - all these photos (with the exception of an unedited JPG) will ALWAYS have an Adobe RGB profile. This is generally not good, since the photos will display badly in any app that isn't color managed. Unfortunately, this seems to apply to Apple TV. Photos there have the typically subdued look of Adobe RGB when not color managed. The situation actually gets worse with JPGs. An unedited JPG which originally had an sRGB profile will display fine, but as soon as you edit that photo in Aperture, it willl display badly because now iTunes/Apple TV is working with an Adobe RGB profile. I've done tests and it's painfully obvious.


Anyone else come across this? I'm not sure what can be done. Maybe having an option to generate proviews using sRGB would be good, but that might involve too much processing in Aperture when it's continually generating previews as you edit.


Thoughts appreciated!

Posted on Jul 31, 2012 7:27 PM

Reply
6 replies

Sep 30, 2012 10:27 AM in response to Stephen Dawson1

You have brought up an interesting point.


I was about to get the apple TV for photo viewing and now that you have pointed this out I think I will wait until this gets figured out.


Have you received any feedback elsewhere regarding a solution to this issue?


I know that you can set the color space for the export and email options. Have you tried to change that setting and see if it also effects the preveiw and transfer to Itunes...Apple Tv ?

Sep 30, 2012 11:05 AM in response to JakeBlade45

There is also a setting under preferences that lists post import processing options for the preview.

You can choose to use the embedded color space in the Raw file or let Aperture choose it.

Not sure though if this is of any help. I only mention this as one of your other posts mentioned it was apparently taking the preview image settings and transfering them to Itunes / and to the TV.

Sep 30, 2012 8:22 PM in response to JakeBlade45

The export settings don't have any effect on the problem, unfortunately. What preference are you referring to? Do you mean the Import "tab" in Aperture prefs? That just governs what Aperture uses for its initial preview. it will now, by default, use the preview that is embedded in every RAW file to speed up processing. As soon as you look at the photo, even without editing it, it will then generate its own JPG preview (with Adobe RGB profile).


I haven't received any other feedback about this problem anywhere, which is surprising to me. I think I can only post the problem through Apple feedback, and hope for the best. It seems that, in the meantime, the only course of action is to export everything you need to display properly on an AppleTV, and re-import those JPGs into Aperture (or iPhoto) so they can be displayed via iTunes. A royal pain!

Oct 11, 2012 3:28 AM in response to Stephen Dawson1

I'm discovering the same problem! Interestingly, Apple TV 1 didn't seem to have this problem. But since Apple have moved to the little black boxes, colour rendition of photos from Aperture via iTunes has been terrible.


I've been going crazy for a long time not knowing why it was happening - now at least I know, and doing my own tests I can see the only solution for now is to export as sRGB JPGs and reimport back in - terrible pain, as you say.


Come on Apple, fix this!! Who do we need to tell?

Bad ramifications of color profile used in previews

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.