Why do photo colors change after export in Luminar Neo?

Have you ever noticed that your photo looks different after you export it from Luminar Neo? Maybe the colors seem slightly duller, or the tones shift when you view it in another app or just in your system’s photo viewer. This can be frustrating—especially after you’ve spent time perfecting your edit. Let’s break down why this happens and how you can fix it.

🖥️ The Cause: Your Monitor’s Color Profile

The root of the issue is your monitor’s Color Profile. Luminar Neo uses a standard color space called sRGB, but most other programs — like Windows Photos, Photoshop, or Lightroom — use your custom monitor profile (if one exists) to display colors more precisely.

This difference in how programs handle color can cause your exported photo to look different even though the actual file is the same.

Important note: Luminar Neo generally doesn't use your special custom monitor profile when showing you the photo you're editing. It sticks to the standard sRGB rules.

🛠️ How to Fix It

To make sure your photos look consistent after export, you need to change your monitor's color profile from custom to default. This resets color settings so your display shows the photo more like how it appears in Luminar Neo — avoiding unwanted shifts in tone or saturation caused by custom profiles.

Here's how to set the Color Profiles to Default 👇

Go to Control panel > Color management, add the sRGB profile, refer to the instructions below:

Please perform the following steps for all monitors that you have.

❓Q&A Section

🖍️ What’s a color profile? A color profile tells your system how to display colors on your specific monitor. When you calibrate your screen, you’re creating a custom color profile for better color accuracy.

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📷 How do most photo apps read the monitor’s color profile? Apps like Photoshop or Lightroom are color-managed. They read your monitor’s custom profile and adjust how colors appear so they look accurate on your screen.

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🌈 How does Luminar Neo read your monitor’s color profile? Luminar Neo mainly sticks to the standard sRGB color space. It does not read your custom monitor profile. That means what you see in Luminar may not reflect how the same photo appears in a color-managed app using your calibrated profile.