Output colour space of NLP conversions

Flatbed and Film Scanners Silverfast
1

Hello Nate and friends, thank you for the continued efforts with this amazing software.

I’ve only recently started to think about printing my work, and up to this point everything that leaves Lightroom is exported in an sRGB colour space for the web. Now that I am working with printers I want to be able to deliver files which are in AdobeRGB for a wider print colour gamut.

My raw 48 bit DNG files from Silverfast are created in the AdobeRGB colour space, up until the point they are converted with NLP whereby the positive copies are in an sRGB colour space when opened in Photoshop (have made explicitly sure Photoshop is honouring the file’s colour space).

My positive copy which is in sRGB has slightly different colours when viewed in the Develop module of Lightroom or brought over into Photoshop.

I tried searching the forum for an answer to this issue and someone seemed to suggest that the colours are untouched through this process despite the colour space change.

However, now I’m left confused as to how to have a pure AdobeRGB workflow to deliver such a file to a printer. Is there something I am not understanding or missing here?

Thank you for taking the time to help me with this :slight_smile: Ryan.

2

Welcome to the forum @Dandelion

Lightroom’s working colour space is large enough to provide output with whatever traditional profile one likes. To make sure that your output files are using AdobeRGB, I propose the following:

  1. Do not save positive copies with NLP
  2. Export the converted files with Lightroom and AdobeRGB.
3

Hello! Thank you for your assistance @Digitizer

Okay so I think I understand what you’re saying. I do need to further edit the file within Photoshop to remove dust for example.

So instead of hitting the ‘positive copy’ button, I should just invert the image, and then export that inverted file?

I assume I could then import that file into Lightroom/open in Photoshop to have a true AdobeRGB file which can be edited further in the same colour space?

That’s so helpful thank you :slight_smile:

4

Yes, and your workflow would then look like this:

  1. Convert image with NLP
  2. Export with Lightroom to ProPhotoRGB
  3. Work image in PS and/or Lr
  4. Export with desired profile (sRGB, AdobeRGB, etc.)

Usually, one wants to stick to the widest working colour space as long as possible, which is why ProPhotoRGB is used in step 2 above.

If you print at home, you can print with PS or Lr directly and step 4 is not necessary. If you have your prints made by a printshop, check what they are doing before selecting a profile in step 4. Many of those shops expect files to come in sRGB!

5

Thank you so much for your help! I will double check with my printer to make sure which file is appropriate, but this is super helpful to know going forward to have complete control over the colour space.

I hope you have a great day!

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