# ICC profile description is invalid



## rhynetc (Aug 5, 2020)

When sending an image from Lightroom Classic to Photoshop for edits, I get the error (?) message "The embedded ICC profile cannot be used because the ICC profile description is invalid.  Ignoring the profile."

What is going on here?  How should I respond to correct this situation?


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## Paul McFarlane (Aug 5, 2020)

Which camera, and what format (raw, jpg)?


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## rhynetc (Aug 5, 2020)

Paul McFarlane said:


> Which camera, and what format (raw, jpg)?


Nikon D800, iPhone 8, Nikon Z6, Nikon D300.  Haven't tried one from the D7200 0r the D850 yet...
dng format, jpg for iPhone image


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## clee01l (Aug 5, 2020)

This is not an error per se.  It is a warning message.  An icc color profile describes an envelop containing the colors available in the image.   The default profile used by Lightroom and Photoshop is the ProPhotoRGB which is larger than any other  common color profiles (sRGB, AdobeRGB).   I think you can safely ignore the warning. 

The DNG format can include both RAW or RGB data.   Only RGB data will have a color profile.   How are you creating the DNG?  And how are you sending it to Photoshop.


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## Johan Elzenga (Aug 5, 2020)

If you ignore the warning, then you let Photoshop use a non-color managed workflow. Depending on the rest of the workflow that may not be a good idea. In Lightroom you have set a color space for images that are send to Photoshop. *Assign* that color profile in Photoshop. It might also be a good idea to check a few other images. It's possible that the ProPhotoRGB color profile (assuming that's the color space you use when sending an image to Photoshop) that you have stored on your computer has become corrupted and needs to be replaced. You don't get warnings like this for no reason!


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## rhynetc (Aug 5, 2020)

Johan Elzenga said:


> If you ignore the warning, then you let Photoshop use a non-color managed workflow. Depending on the rest of the workflow that may not be a good idea. In Lightroom you have set a color space for images that are send to Photoshop. *Assign* that color profile in Photoshop. It might also be a good idea to check a few other images. It's possible that the ProPhotoRGB color profile (assuming that's the color space you use when sending an image to Photoshop) that you have stored on your computer has become corrupted and needs to be replaced. You don't get warnings like this for no reason!


So how can I determine whether the ProPhotoRGB color profile has become corrupted?  And if so, how to replace it?


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## rhynetc (Aug 5, 2020)

Tried sending the file as a TIF and got the same warning message.  I then clicked on "Continue" and when the file opened (very much desaturated, etc) I tried to assign the Prophoto RGB color profile but could not. The message came from Photoshop that the ICC color could not be assigned because it was invalid.

Should I uninstall and then reinstall Photoshop 2020?


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## rhynetc (Aug 5, 2020)

rhynetc said:


> Should I uninstall and then reinstall Photoshop 2020?


Did that, no change in response.

I had hoped that the ProphotoRGB profile might have been defective in Photoshop (ACR?) but apparently not so.


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## Johan Elzenga (Aug 5, 2020)

rhynetc said:


> So how can I determine whether the ProPhotoRGB color profile has become corrupted?  And if so, how to replace it?


If you assign the ProPhotoRGB profile in Photoshop and you do get the same warning or some other error, then the profile is corrupted. Replace a profile by a backup copy, just like you would replace any other file on your computer that got corrupted. 
On all Windows Operating Systems, the profiles are located in C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color.
If you cannot find the profile in the default location, try a search for *.icc or *.icm to find all the profiles on your system.



rhynetc said:


> Should I uninstall and then reinstall Photoshop 2020?


You could try, but I doubt that will do any good.



rhynetc said:


> I had hoped that the ProphotoRGB profile might have been defective in Photoshop (ACR?) but apparently not so.


Profiles are not *in* Photoshop or ACR, but they may get installed when Photoshop is installed.


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## rhynetc (Aug 5, 2020)

I have reinstalled both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop 2020 but in neither case was the Prophoto RGB profile or the AdobeSRB profile installed in the normal location:  C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color .  I simply do not have those files on my system.

Where can I download them?


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## Johan Elzenga (Aug 5, 2020)

Of course you have these files on your system already, otherwise the ProPhotoRGB profile would not even show up in your list of profiles in Photoshop and you would not be able to specify this color profile in the External Editor preferences in Lightroom.

*Search your system for .icm and .icc files.* On the Mac the ProPhotoRGB profile is in _Macintosh HD / Library / Application Support / Adobe/ Color / Profiles_, so maybe on your computer it is in _C:\ ProgramData \ Adobe \ Color \ Profiles_, but that's just a guess.

Downloading the profile from somewhere will be useless, because you need to replace the defective profile with it. If you do not know where the defective profile is, and you just install another copy somewhere else, then Lightroom and Photoshop will continue to try to use the defective profile.


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## Hal P Anderson (Aug 5, 2020)

The only file with that name on my windows system is associated with my Spider 5 Express screen calibrator.

The one in the Adobe library is named ProPhoto.icm


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## Johan Elzenga (Aug 5, 2020)

Thanks, Hal. The first one is almost certainly the one that Photoshop and Lightroom use. The fact that the file name is not completely 'ProPhotoRGB' is irrelevant, because the profile shows up in Photoshop and Lightroom under its internal name.


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## rhynetc (Aug 11, 2020)

rhynetc said:


> When sending an image from Lightroom Classic to Photoshop for edits, I get the error (?) message "The embedded ICC profile cannot be used because the ICC profile description is invalid.  Ignoring the profile.



After many iterations of communication with Datacolor, uninstalling and reinstalling software for Spyder5Pro version 5.5, I gave up.  I removed the Datacolor software from my system and now there is no problem with sending a file to Photoshop and back.  Goodby Spyder!


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