InDesign Colour Profile Problem

@GCarlD

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone,

I would like some advice on an issue I have discovered with a .indd file I was given.

I am indirectly working with an illustrator on a book cover design. I have his original InDesign file that he put the cover together in. I also have the front and back Jpegs, to which he linked in the .indd file. The problem is when viewing in InDesign or saving as a PDF the colours are off; they are not as saturated as the front and back Jpegs. I also have a full front & back cover Jpeg version of the .indd file, which I could use as the colours match show up perfectly, but unfortunately he sent that at a low 150. I realised what is causing the issue. I checked the colour profiles of the 3 Jpegs (1. Front + Back, 2. Front only, 3. Back only) and the Jpeg with the front and back together colour profile is sRGB IEC61966-2.1. The Jpegs with the front and back separated colour profile is eciRGB v2. I then look through the list of colour profiles I have in InDesign and I do have sRGB IEC61966-2.1 but I do not have eciRGB v2, which is why the colours are not matching. I don't know why he has used two different colour profiles. Should I contact him and ask him to save the files as all the same sRGB IEC61966-2.1 colour profile, or is this a simple matter that I should have the eciRGB v2 colour profile? If so, does anyone know where I can get it from? I tried a google search but could not find a correct link.

This is the second time working with him and I didn't have this problem the first time round, as he used the same sRGB IEC61966-2.1 colour profile for everything.

BTW, I know Jpegs are RGB and book covers should be in CMYK etc. I can explain why it is being done this way but it would be slightly off topic.

Thank you.
 
In InDesign - go to Edit>Colour Settings

Is the RGB setting set to Preserve Embedded Profiles?


Probably best to get the artwork in the same colour spaces at least, then you would have more control.
 
I don't see a 'Preserve Embedded Profiles' option in colour settings.

If I was to export it as a Jpeg, there is a 'Embed colour profile' setting that is checked.

I need to get in contact with him and sort it out, as it has some design flaws which I guess only graphic designers would pick up on. I can't correct it my end, as he has linked the front and back cover in InDesign via two Jpegs which has all the text obviously flattened on it. I need everything separated so I can edit what needs to be edited and it needs to be set to the same colour profile as you suggested. The way he has done it, there's no need for him to of place it in InDesign in the first place really, as the only editable part of the book cover is the spine!
 
Really - under Edit>Colour Settings?

You don't get this dialog box?

Colour_Settings_In_Design.png
 
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Ah I see, yes sorry. RGB and CMYK are both off. Should I put them both on Preserve Embedded Profiles?
 
The closest I can get it to match is using Adobe RGB (1998) colour profile due to it's large gamut range.
 
Yeh - you can't really have colour management turned off - it basically will use what colour profile it's outputting to - that's why you're getting a shift in the colours.

Leave the Preserve Embedded Profile on.
 
Yea it's back on. It hasn't made a difference to the outcome though. I'm sure it is due to his colour profile being different.
 
Probably - and I'm very much against forcing a colour space into another colour space up until I need to output, at which point the conversion is done.

Actually - I prefer the RIPs to do it - but a lot of printers haven't made that leap yet.

Mostly I've been pushing for PDFx4 workflow for many years with various printers - but they are so far behind the times.
 
No problemo

Oh - it wouldn't change instantly - that's only the Colour Settings.

You'd have to assign the profile
 
Yeah I have. As I mentioned before Adobe RGB 98 is the closest I can get it, so worst case scenario i'll have to use that profile.

But surely if I had his colour profile (eciRGB v2) that would be problem solved. Any idea where I can get it?
 
Yeah, I found that website but was a bit overwhelmed, I didn't know which was the right one for eciRGB v2

I'll go for 'ecirgbv20.zip 4 KB 2007-04-16'
 
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