The quick answer
Open the saved copy in Photoshop. Does it look different there too? Check how you saved it. Does it look right there but wrong in another app? Check that app or screen.
A color profile tells an app how to read the colors in a file. A wrong or missing profile can make colors look different. Making the picture more colorful will not fix that cause.
In this article
Keep these in mind
- Compare the same file on the same screen.
- Convert to a new profile; do not assign one at random.
- Keep a separate master and delivery copy.
1. Find the point where the color changes
Export a small test and reopen it beside the working file. Compare the same area at the same zoom, with the same visible layers. Check whether Proof Colors is on. It shows a preview of how colors may look somewhere else, such as in print.
If the reopened file matches, view that exact file in the browser or app where you noticed the change. Do not compare it with a screenshot, messaging thumbnail or older export. Each extra step makes the cause harder to locate.
Read more: Adobe: Proof Colors and display limits
2. Check what the profile is supposed to be
Check the color profile saved with each file. If a file has none, ask how it was made. Do not guess. A missing profile is like a missing label: you need to know what belongs on it.
Assign Profile gives the existing colors a different meaning. Convert to Profile changes them to fit a new profile while trying to keep their look. Use Assign only if you know which profile the file should have had.
3. Prepare a separate web copy
For a picture on a website, sRGB is a common profile. Work on a copy, use Edit > Convert to Profile and choose sRGB IEC61966-2.1. Preview the result, especially strong reds, greens and blues.
Save in a format that supports a profile, such as JPEG, and enable profile embedding in its save options. Keep the original master. Some very bright colors may change during conversion. A new profile name cannot make every screen show those colors.
Read more: Adobe: Manage document colors for online viewing · Adobe: Assign, convert and embed color profiles
4. Check the viewing conditions
Compare on one display first. Two screens may show different brightness and colors. A warm room, a very bright screen or an automatic display adjustment can also affect what you see.
If the same saved file differs between apps, check whether each app respects its embedded profile. If exact color matters, use a calibrated screen. This means its colors have been measured and adjusted. Agree how the client will check the picture. Do not repeatedly alter a correct file to match an unknown phone setting.
Read more: Adobe: Proof Colors and display limits
5. Deliver the file you actually checked
Open the final saved file once more and check skin, neutral grays and any important product color. Check its size and profile. Name the delivery copy clearly so an older version is not uploaded by mistake.
If the destination is print, ask the print provider for its file and profile requirements. A screen export recipe is not automatically a print recipe. Keep a short note of the settings that worked so the next revision follows the same path.
Sources & further reading
Product features can change. Check the linked documentation for the version and service you use.