Time-Sensitive: Preserving original color in TIFs

Shooting in macro mode, techniques, tips & tricks
Post Reply
Jerry-and-Lois
Posts: 12
Joined: 30.09.2020 06:18

Time-Sensitive: Preserving original color in TIFs

Post by Jerry-and-Lois »

Hi all, in lieu of forthcoming answers, I'm trying to solve time-sensitive issues.

Anyone that can answer this please:

I have a series of TIFs. They need alignment for stacking and focus-breathing, but nothing more.

When I create a stack and export the layers, the color and brightness in the layers not match the original TIFs. Alignment works great (using method 'C').

Since I'm working with color gemstones, color shifts are unacceptable, and very hard to correct in PS.

I haven't been able to find any settings in PREFs to disable color adjustments.

How do I preserve the original colors, please?

Thank you,
Jerry
Last edited by Jerry-and-Lois on 02.11.2020 21:28, edited 1 time in total.
Jerry-and-Lois
Posts: 12
Joined: 30.09.2020 06:18

Re: Time-Sensitive: Preserving original color in TIFs

Post by Jerry-and-Lois »

Additional info (added sample lo-res JPGs as well)

Stack created image:
RGB:
82 47 25

HSB
27 62 52

-----

ORIG TIF
RGB
78 54 36

HSB:
29 55 54
Attachments
Orig TIF.jpg
Orig TIF.jpg (249.95 KiB) Viewed 2984 times
Stack Layer export.jpg
Stack Layer export.jpg (253.8 KiB) Viewed 2984 times
BobStone
Posts: 65
Joined: 03.06.2017 10:13

Re: Time-Sensitive: Preserving original color in TIFs

Post by BobStone »

PS has a 'Match Color' option under the Image, Adjustments menu. Open both; select your stacked image at the top of the dialog (Target image), the Original as the Source image at the bottom. You will see the change immediately. With your images I had to make a slight increase of color intensity slider. May get you close to what you want ....
Jerry-and-Lois
Posts: 12
Joined: 30.09.2020 06:18

Re: Time-Sensitive: Preserving original color in TIFs

Post by Jerry-and-Lois »

Hi BobStone,

I'm familiar with Match Color, and it sometimes does an amazing job. Thanks for the suggestion.

But back to the original question - is there a way to disable color alterations in HF? I work in a color managed system, and an unpredictable color shift is a bit concerning... My thought is that I should have this as an option, that I can utilize OR not.

Thank you,
Jerry
ArturNoubel
Posts: 2
Joined: 13.11.2020 13:46

Re: Time-Sensitive: Preserving original color in TIFs

Post by ArturNoubel »

BobStone wrote: 03.11.2020 11:53 PS has a 'Match Color' option under the Image, Adjustments menu router login. Open both; select your stacked image at the top of the dialog (Target image), the Original as the Source image at the bottom. You will see the change immediately. With your images I had to make a slight increase of color intensity slider. May get you close to what you want ....
Hi BobStone,
Your info solved my problem, thanks for the post.
Last edited by ArturNoubel on 04.01.2021 13:35, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Catherine
Posts: 1163
Joined: 29.04.2019 22:38

Re: Time-Sensitive: Preserving original color in TIFs

Post by Catherine »

This turned out to be an issue on our end, it affected specifically the "Export layers" function. We've sent Jerry a new version of Helicon Focus where this is fixed. The fix will be included in the next update of Helicon Focus, but if anyone encountered the same problem and needs a solution right now - let me know.
Jerry-and-Lois
Posts: 12
Joined: 30.09.2020 06:18

Re: Time-Sensitive: Preserving original color in TIFs

Post by Jerry-and-Lois »

Hi Catherine,

Apologies for a slow response - it's the holidays and all the associated frenzy forced me to step away from this thread.

Exporting layers from the private build does indeed preserve the color perfectly, to the point that I could see no difference between the exports and the original/source TIFFs.

I wish that it was all good news however.

I found that layer alignment is not working, and in fact made things worse than the original individual TIFFs I started with (regardless of which Method I used). In fact one of the source TIFFs, after being imported, presumably aligned, and exported ended up with a significantly smaller image size than the other layers. The resolution of the file was the same, just the image area itself that was mussed up.

I have filed a bug report, and shared all the source and resulting TIFFs in a Dropbox share for the good folks at HS to look at.

I'm hoping that this "bug" is something I've triggered somehow through some kind of user error, looking forward to what happens next.

Many thanks,
Jerry
Post Reply