JPEGS After export are darker colours than in Affinity

[Lexter]

I have noticed that when I export a JPEG file from Affinity, the resultant JPEG is always darker, as if the Shadow settings had changed during the export.

 

I am using JPEG Best quality, Lanczos (Separable), RGB-8 bit and Apple RGB. I have tried using Adobe RGB (1998) but still had a darker picture.

 

The Embed ICC profile box is unchecked.

 

The Progressive and Embed Metadata boxes are both checked.

 

Does anyone know why the exported JPEGS are showing up darker than their images in Photo Persona?

 

I usually export directly from Photo Persona using the FILE>EXPORT route and not Export Persona as Export Persona tends to overwrite any identically named file without warning.

 

I have searched for this issue and found nothing. If anyone knows of a thread, please let me know.

 

Thank you.

 

 

[Asha]

Lexter, do you have the same issue regardless of which RAW engine you use?

[Lexter]

Thank you for getting back to me about my issue.

 

I am not sure what you mean by "RAW engine".

 

I have a Sony NEX-7 camera using the ARW extensions for their RAW files.

 

Affinity has no problem opening them.

 

I imagine that I am using the 'default' RAW convertor built into Affinity.

 

The fact that you mention "regardless of which RAW engine" I use, means that somewhere there is an option...??

 

Me

[R C-R]

The option to switch between the Affinity & "Apple (Core Image RAW)" engines is in the Develop Assistant Manager, accessible from the View menu when in the Develop persona.

 

Regarding the color shifts, I suspect that might be an ICC profile issue. If you don't embed a profile in the JPEG export, then it won't matter which one you choose.

[Lexter]

Thank you R C-R.

 

I will switch to the Apple Core RAW and see if that makes a difference.

 

Have already embedded the Adobe 1998 profile into my Export profiles and will see if there is a difference.

 

Thank you for your help.

 

Happy shooting!

 

Me

[R C-R]

Have already embedded the Adobe 1998 profile into my Export profiles and will see if there is a difference.

Maybe I'm missing something, but earlier you said, "The Embed ICC profile box is unchecked." Are you now saying that you have checked it?

[Lexter]

At the moment, it is unchecked.

[R C-R]

At the moment, it is unchecked.

Then there won't be any profile in the exported file.

[Lexter]

Box is now checked.

 

Thank you.

[Lexter]

All the changes seemed to have done the job.

Changing the RAW convertor to Apple Core, changing the ICC Profile to Adobe 1998 and embedding it in the export file, make my JPEG keep its colours and tweaks.

Thank you, R C-R, and Asha earlier, for helping me out.

 

Me

[Peterkaosa]

Thank you both too, this is clearly an interesting thread. Maybe the developers should have a closer look to it, due to its importance for many photographers. I had never before heard of different raw converters in one software and will immediately switch to the one you both "discovered".

[R C-R]

I suspect Lexter's basic problem had a lot to do with not embedding an ICC profile in the export & not much to do with the RAW engine used to develop the file, but you might want to check for yourself how the two engines compare for your own work.

 

I can't take credit for "discovering" that there are two available engines. It is a bullet point on Affinity's promo full feature list web page ("Choose between Affinity Photo and Apple RAW processing engines") & how to switch between the two is covered in the built-in AP help topic Developing a raw image using Develop Persona:

"Develop Persona gives you access to the following:
Develop Assistant to choose a RAW engine for RAW processing, and to enable/disable automatic tonal and/or exposure adjustments on loading the RAW image."

 

Apple's engine is built into OS X. It is a part of Apple's Core Image framework, so any app that offers RAW development could use it. I don't know how many apps offer a choice of their own or Apple's engine.