Confusing info on color mode for psd files

[Terkelsen]

I'm creating a rather complex flow for handling images in many different formats and color spaces. Part of this flow is converting CMYK and Indexed colors to AdobeRGB.
I'm using ImageMagick in Switch (Execute Command) to do the conversation, and that works fine. If I send a jpg in CMYK into the flow it will be converted to AdobeRGB using the embedded CMYK profile as source. If I afterwards inspect the job in Switch: Inspect Job -> Image -> ColorMode, it will return the value 3 which means RGB and it also shows the correct AdobeRGB profile.

However, if I do the same using the same image but now as a psd-file Insepct Job in Switch will show the value 4 meaning CMYK and it shows the original CMYK profile. If the image is opened in Photoshop it is actually RGB with AdobeRGB as the embedded profile.
The same thing happens with a psd image in Indexed color mode. It is converted OK, but Switch will still show ColorMode "2 = Indexed Color".

If in Switch I go to "Metadata ->Text -> Path" and take a look in the XMP Data Tree it still says "photoshop:ColorMode: 4" and the original CMYK ICC-profile is shown, but if that image is opened in Photoshop and I take a look at the Raw XMP data it shows ColorMode 3 and the correct AdobeRGB profile.

Any idea on how to get Switch to actually show the correct information? I need to sort the files afterwards based on the color mode, which is kind of difficult if the information is incorrect

[JimmyHartington]

It seems that ImageMagick does not touch the XMP-data doing the conversion.
But as soon as Photoshop opens the file it is updated.
Is it possible to have Photoshop do a resave of only PSD-files in the flow.

Or use ExifTool to set the correct metadata if you are confident they have been converted correctly?

Code: Select all

exiftool -overwrite_original \
-xmp:ColorSpace=RGB \
-xmp:photoshop:ColorMode=3 \
-icc_profile:all=AdobeRGB1998.icc \
output_file.psd

[Terkelsen]

Using Photoshop is not an option in this case.
Rather than using exiftool I think I might as well use the "XMP inject" build into Switch and set to "Update XMP", but as you mention, I will need to be sure that this information is actually correct

[JimmyHartington]

Can you convert to RGB both as PSD and JPG.
Then collect color data from the JPG and apply to the PSD?