Export looking way off when LUT is turned on

Software darktable
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#1

Hi all, had to create this account just because this is bugging me. Why? Because I finally made a nice preset that I’m content with for now, but it looking way off when exporting.

I understand the concept of color management. But wondering if this could be helped or not.

Input color profile:

  • Input: standard color matrix
  • Working profile: Adobe RGB (or sRGB, doesn’t matter)
    Output is set to sRGB

Now when I export without a LUT, it looks fine. When I turn the LUT on, the export is over saturated + too much contrast. It doesn’t matter what LUT I use. Same for where I put it in the pipeline. Even if I set the working profile to sRGB it looks off after export. Thumbnail looks like the export.

Only when I put it on linear Rec2020 it looks fine after export. But the whole preset looks off and I have to change everything and try to get close to that look I’ve had, but it’s just not it, I can’t get it to look like I want to with Rec2020. So does it have to do with the fact that the LUT is too big for sRGB/Adobe RGB?

Anyone? Thanks in advance.

#2

Your working color space should have a large gamut, such as linear rec 2020. Adobe RGB is a poor choice here.

Can you post the LUT and Preset? Show some screenshots?

#3

Is your display calibrated?? Some examples of what you describe will be helpful…

As noted by @paperdigits you want the wide gamut of linear rec2020 as a working profile…your output and display profile will handle the color management…On that note what are you using for a display profile…I am curious because I don’t think choosing rec2020 as a working profile should be impacting things as much as you are experiencing??

#4

Sounds like you are perhaps applying a log video LUT to image data.

Basically LUTs are designed for different image data. Some work on SDR sRGB, some on flat HDR raw-like data, some on log video captures. Without knowing the LUT in question, we can only speculate.

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