Colors change after export in a brand refresh

A brand color looks right while you edit, then appears duller, warmer, or less saturated in the exported file. That can be a real change in the image, but it can also come from the file format, color profile, or app displaying it.

Test the exported file on the same screen before changing your palette. The Photo Editor lets you open an image and use layers, adjustments, and filters, so you can compare a clean export with your edited version.

Check the exported colors

1. Open the image in the Photo Editor. If you have a brand color specification, note its HEX or RGB value so you have a reference.
2. Look at a large, flat area of the brand color in the image. Avoid judging a color from a tiny logo edge, where antialiasing blends it with nearby pixels.
3. Export a test file using the format you plan to share. If the export options let you choose a format, make a second test as PNG or JPEG for comparison.
4. Open the exported file on the same screen, preferably in the same browser or editor. Compare the same area in the original and exported versions, not a preview in a messaging or social app.
5. Repeat the export once with adjustments or filters turned off. Change only one setting at a time so you can identify what caused the difference.

For a logo or graphic that needs transparency, use a format that supports it, such as PNG. JPEG does not preserve transparency and uses lossy compression, which can alter fine edges and saturated colors.

What the result means

The file looks different only in one app

The image may be fine, while the app is interpreting its color profile differently. A profile describes how color values should appear on a particular display or in a particular color space. Check the exported image in another color-managed app before editing the artwork again.

The JPEG looks less vivid than the PNG

JPEG compression can change color detail, especially around sharp edges and highly saturated areas. If you need the brand color to remain crisp, use PNG for digital graphics when the file size is acceptable. For photos, JPEG may be suitable, but do not treat it as a perfect reference for exact color values.

The exported file looks different everywhere

The change is more likely to be in the export or the edit itself. An adjustment, filter, or conversion to another color space may have changed the image. Compare the export with the original and repeat the test without those edits.

The color changes only against a different background

Check whether the image is transparent. A transparent logo can appear different on white, gray, and dark backgrounds because the background shows through. That does not necessarily mean the color pixels in the logo changed.

The colors differ on another monitor

Displays can show the same image differently because of their panel, brightness, color profile, and display mode. Do not change a brand color based only on a comparison between two uncalibrated screens.

How to fix the export

1. Turn off extra adjustments. Temporarily disable or remove filters and color adjustments, then export again. If the original color returns, reapply only the edits you need and check after each one.
2. Use the required color space. For many screen graphics, sRGB is the expected color space. If the editor or delivery instructions offer a color profile choice, choose sRGB for web assets. Convert to a profile rather than simply assigning one when the option distinguishes between those actions, because assigning can change how existing color values are interpreted.
3. Choose a suitable format. Use PNG for logos, flat-color graphics, and transparent artwork. Use JPEG when smaller file size matters more than exact edge and color detail. Avoid repeatedly opening and saving a JPEG, since each lossy save can add more changes.
4. Check the display profile. On Windows 11, open Settings › System › Display › Color profile and check that the selected profile is intended for your display. On macOS, open System Settings › Displays and review the display's Color profile. Do not pick a profile at random; if colors suddenly changed after a profile adjustment, restore the previous or display-recommended profile.
5. Compare a local copy. Open the exported file directly from your device, not a version that has been uploaded, compressed, or previewed by another service. A sharing platform can resize or convert an image after export.
6. Keep a clean reference file. Save an untouched copy of the original artwork and record approved HEX or RGB values for key brand colors. Use that reference when checking future assets, rather than relying on memory or a screenshot.

Separate an export problem from a display problem

A screen can make an accurate file look inaccurate. If a color seems wrong, compare the original and exported files side by side on one display, with the same brightness and display mode. Then check the export in a second color-managed app. If the files look consistent there but differ on another monitor, the display is the likely cause.

Also remember that a HEX value describes the image color, not a promise that every screen or printer will reproduce it identically. A web graphic, a phone display, and a printed proof can all look different even when they begin with the same color value. For print, use the color specifications and proofing process supplied for that job.

The Photo Editor runs in your browser, and the image you open stays on your device.