Hi everyone. I’ve had this problem across several DXO Photolab versions (I am currently using V7.11.1) and will confess to being at the point of giving up on DXO Photolab unless I can get it fixed. I have two monitors—one a Sony and one an Asus. When editing photos, the colour cast shifts depending on which monitor most of the application window is on. You can see the magenta cast appear on both monitors when the window is about ½ way moving from one monitor to the other. The issue is only when editing (i.e. preview?). It is not a monitor issue – the DXO software does this – it somehow senses which monitor the majority of the window is on and changes the colour profile to something that does not work on either monitor, so I can effectively only edit on my smaller monitor. You can see it changing on both monitors simultaneously as it moves across, so the issue Is not with the monitor.
I have tried various colour management profiles and configurations, but nothing makes a difference. It is not an issue in the exported jpegs – regardless of how they are viewed. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say it has to do with the jpg engine in the soft preview. There are, however, no adjustments to correct this. It was the same on V5 and V6. I have reinstalled the software several times (at all times, removing the app data config). You can see the issue below in a no-corrections preview (same occurs when I have corrections) – a simple screenshot of the app on one window and then another where most of the app window is on the second monitor. Does anyone have this issue? Do you know if it can be fixed? I would give V8 ago or wait for V9, but I do not want to spend the money on a toll that does not work correctly.
I don’t know what the problem is, as I only have one monitor these days - but have you:
(a) tried enabling Soft Proofing and specifying the color space of your monitors?
(b) opened a support request at support.dxo.com?
Thanks for responding. Same issue exists with Soft Proofing. No - I’ve not opened a support request, but I will do so now.
Have you calibrated your monitors and told windows which profile to use as default for each monitor?
It is very important to calibrate your monitors and have the correct brightness for your editing environment.
I use two monitors (laptop and external) and have recently got a third portable monitor and they are all calibrated and I have never had issues you describe. I have used PL1 through PL8.
Yes, I have tried custom (I have Spyder5 calibrator) and generic and no profile. They work as expected on everything other than the preview in PhotoLab.
That means that the color shift is content aware?
I’m just thinking is PL aware of the use of 2 monitors?
George
I have two monitors on my desktop PC.
The main one is a Dell wide gamut monitor, it covers 100% Adobe RGB. It is hardware calibrated / profiled, i.e. the profile created when I use my xrite i1 Display is written to a dedicated mode of the monitor. Dell Display Manager software then automatically invokes that mode when I open PL (or Affinity Photo 2), and switches back to sRGB when I open non-photo applications.
The second monitor is also a Dell but a very basic (and very old) one. It gets only used as a ‘document stand’, because as well as it’s extremely limited gamut it has a row of hot pixels about an inch up from the bottom. Even so, I have profiled / calibrated it and set that profile as the one Windows should use for that monitor via the Color Management applet in the Windows 10 Pro Control Panel.
I am using PL7.11.1. Images appear ‘correct’ on the main wide gamut monitor, I don’t see a colour cast. If I drag the PL window on to the secondary monitor then, as expected when a wide gamut image is displayed on a less than ideal sRGB monitor, the colours appear washed out but I don’t see a magenta cast.
The transition from correct to washed out colours is smooth, there is no sudden jump in the colours. No matter how little or much of the PL window is showing on the second monitor that bit of it is washed out, the rest on the main monitor remains correct.
I see the same behaviour if I open an image in Affinity Photo 2 and move that window from my main monitor to the secondary one.
I was asking for I don’t know where the image is converted to the monitor’s profile. Is it done by the videocard, pc or PL. So where on the route from PL to the monitor happens the conversion to the monitor’s profile.
George
As others have already stated, color calibrating your monitor is imperative. I use multiple monitors (Benq, LaCie, NEC) and with color calibration, there are differences between them. I choose one as my main color correct monitor and use the other to hold palettes, documents or photo libraries… nothing color sensitive for output.
From what you describe, this sounds like a hardware issue and not a problem with PhotoLab, although you would be well-served to submit a ticket to support for confirmation.
When you print, are you getting a screen to print match for the main monitor you choose for editing?
Thanks, All - the issue is not the calibration of the monitor. It works fine when 2/3 of the window is on the small monitor, and 1/3 is on my primary big monitor, but the whole picture, which is split across both monitors, changes cast on both monitors simultaneously when more than 50% is on the primary monitor. I contacted support and they said “The problem you’re experiencing with DxO PhotoLab when moving the window between monitors is indeed related to how the software handles color profiles in its preview function. This is a known issue that has persisted across several versions.” They suggested, “I recommend trying the latest version, DxO PhotoLab 8, as updates often include fixes for such issues. … If the issue continues, consider using a single monitor setup for editing …” V8.2 has the same issue. I think I’ll be giving the product a miss - a pity because I like it other than this issue.
I can’t help wondering if you have missed something in your calibrating. I take it you are using Windows. I assume you will have already done the following, but just in case.
After you have collaborated your monitor are you making sure the calibration is connected to your calibrated monitor. i.e.opening Control Panel and clicking on colour management. In the resulting dialogue under devices… If you click on the drop-down at the end of the panel. It will show your two monitors. Make sure you have the calibrated monitor selected and in that checkbox below saying use my settings for this device. Make sure this device is checked.
In the profiles box make sure your latest calibration results are set as default. if you’re calibration results are not shown then you will need to add your collaboration.
I do Suspect you have already done this.
Hopefully by now you have got it sorted.
I would expect that (well, not the strong color cast, but of course applying the profile of the other monitor). And when those monitors differ “by a lot”, you will see that (technically, you are using the “wrong” monitor profile).
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If you know how to setup monitor profiles in Windows …
testkalibrierung_blueish_redish.zip (19,1 KB)
These profiles are used to check correct color management.
Well, the description is in German. 
I’ve used them in the past to ensure each monitor gets the correct profile. At that time, the main monitor (AdobeRGB) was hardware calibrated and the second monitor (sRGB) calibration was software based. And I also had to use a specific loader, but I never “shared” a picture between them.
Now I use two screens (again with different resolutions) and Eizo’s ColorNavigator reliably ensures the correct profiles. When I change the profiles (which can be done on the fly & independently), I always restart PL to make sure the color is interpreted correctly.