Posterization in Lightroom exports

[kpz]

I'm sure this question has a simple answer, but I couldn't find it with some Googling.

In Lightroom, I was editing an underexposed shot taken in a building with poor lighting. (It's too noisy for any serious use but it served as editing practice.) I then tried to export it. However, when I did, I immediately noticed the image was darker and noisier.

I initially thought this was caused by JPEG compression or downsizing, but it persists even when the image is exported at full size as an uncompressed 16-bit TIFF file (using either ProPhoto RGB and sRGB) with no output sharpening. Below you can see proof of this in the form of 1:1 crops. One is a screenshot from Lightroom, the other is a screenshot when the TIFF file is opened in my Mac's Preview application. Note that the TIFF export is darker and noisier. No evidence of increased noise or contrast is apparent in the LR soft proofing panel (with e.g. sRGB switched on).

Strangely, even the screenshot of LR looks different from how LR displays on my monitor, which is the least noisy and best looking of the three.

How can I reproduce what LR displays in my exported file?

[digitaldog]

First, check that you are exporting in sRGB and the other product used to view the JPEG is color managed.
Compare in Develop module at 1:1, not the other modules like Library. View at 1:1 (100%) in that other viewer.

1. Check GPU settings (on or off) and try a different setting. This is found in preferences.
2. It could be a faulty ICC display profile. Recalibrate and build a new one.
3. It could be how the profile was built. Set your software to build Version 2 (V2) not V4 profiles.
4. It could be the type of profile built. Try Matrix instead of LUT based profile. Again, that's a setting in whatever software you use to calibrate and profile the display.

[kpz]

You're right, it's definitely a display issue. When I open the .tiff in LR it looks exactly the same as my edited raw file.

I will investigate further and write back later. Thank you.

[digitaldog]

You're right, it's definitely a display issue. When I open the .tiff in LR it looks exactly the same as my edited raw file.

That's a good sign!

[kpz]

That's a good sign!

Actually, this was quite easy to resolve. The problem is with Preview, Mac OSX's native image viewer. When I export as .jpeg and open in Google Chrome, again there is no issue. A Google search confirms that Preview has had color management problems for years.

Thanks again!

[digitaldog]

I've had no issues with Preview on Mac. It should be behaving too.