I sometimes trace video game sprites to make them look higher-res, and I've discovered that the colors I input in Inkscape turn out much duller than they're supposed to be.

For instance, in a project I'm working on, I want to set the color of a red button to RGB(218,73,66). This is the same thing I type into Fill and Stroke in Inkscape.

However, in Inkscape, it looks visibly more grayish. I wondered if my eyes were tricking me, then I exported it as a PNG and discovered the color was actually RGB(201,83,73)!

I've attached a screenshot of my example. The color I'm referencing is the bright red central color. I checked the colors using macOS's built-in Digital Color Meter.

I'm on macOS 11.5.2 Big Sur, and I've got the same result for Inkscape 1.0.2 and 1.1.0.

What's going wrong? Is there some setting I don't know about? It seems like a serious slip-up to have Inkscape output completely different colors by default — I hope I'm mistaken!

I t looks like there´s some transparency in the game: Can you check this? Not just in color values but layers.

The layers are all 100% opaque. The shadow is from the Preview window — sorry, I put this together really quickly. Also, the blue lines are of course the gridlines.

I've attached a better screenshot, as well as the resulting PNG.

Can you upload an example file?

And you checked also here and the colors of the gradient?

In the bottom corner, the opacity is 100% for all the objects.

Here's the exact file I'm using, in case there's something I'm not finding.

@HilbertIdeals5 Do you have any floors higher than your reds?  It probably is not the issue, but, there might be an unseen interference.

[ Lets call them floors rather than layers.  Layers may be interpreted as being in the layer stack.  I am referring to the heights of elements within an asset within the same overall layer in your stack. ]  

To see what I am referring to - take a copy of your button and pull it away from everything else.  Then give it a filter > button.  Then select your artwork.  The bounding box should be at the extremes of your art.  The effect of the filter should be trimmed by the artwork it is applied to.  With the filter tools -  they are not.  They are actually at the extremes of the calculation for the filter.  Everything not over the button you made and applied the filter to is "invisible."  Is it really?  Some of the filters like tartan and cloud include their modifications though they extend off the original art.

So, did you put anything over your art?  Text?

@NELCHAI I don't get what you mean by your instructions? I never used any filters. Also, there isn't a "Filter > Button". I set my art to have "Filter > Bevels > Button", but that just gave it the filter, and doesn't seem to have anything to do with my art being discolored.

I uploaded the exact SVG file, can you check that out?

I use a MacBook for internet access in my studio.  I use Win10 and I93 on my work computers.  They are a full cut-de-sac away from my internet for increased security.

As I try to access your file, I see your button, I see a name for your file as SVG suffix, however, my system is not letting download your file.  Inkscape has issues with Apple.

My instructions are an example of Inkscape's tendency to not always do things logically expected.  There are other examples, but the use of filters with your art could have been a realistic issue.  Thankfully, we have ruled that out.  [ And, you knew where it was! ]

So, the next logical question might be the closeness between the two color chips in numbers.  Inkscape has never been "CMYK friendly."  Did you set the original color to a Pantone CMYK?  If you did, Inkscape may be changing the color out of the CMYK space and into the RGB space.  CMYK is for printers - RGB is for web developers.  The primary audience for Illustrator seems to be the web developers.  They have never been willing to include CMYK out - many have been asking for it for years.  Having said that, the color dialog box in Inkscape does have a CMYK tab - but my colors always get converted when I use it.  Test it.  Enter the colors in your CMYK tab and flip to HSV etc and go back to CMYK.  Are they the same?  Do it again while creating a new asset.  Export that new asset like you did the red button.  Did it shift?

As for the discoloring issue, some of the filters will discolor an asset in inappropriate ways.  That appears to not be an issue here, so, moving on....

I snagged a screenshot of the file open in Inkscape, the red value.

Looked at the screen grab with GIMP, Affinity, Irfanview

Am I missing something?

Another idea would be to do a color select off your original to verify the numbers.

NELCHAI

Inkscape has issues with Apple.

Sorry - but what kind of nonsense is this? I´m on Mac since 1987 and using Inkscape since 2004 (natively since 2015) and only since BigSur has it been so paranoid - but with all non Applejuicefactory apps - not exclusively Inkscape.

I verified the red RGB values with macOS built-in Digital Color Meter.app and you´ll notice different values due different color profiles for instance. While Inkscape don´t really handles icc-profiles as one expected, none of them will make it into exported files eg.

Depends if you are using color management.

Oh wow, this is interesting. I didn't think to check for different color profiles!

Yeah, in Digital Color Meter, if I set it to "Display in sRGB", it says my SVG's colors are correct, and the original image's colors turn out to be brighter. I think if I just change the colors in Inkscape, my problem will be solved.

Thanks for the help! I'll definitely start taking these color profiles into account.

EDIT: Yes, it's fixed!

@Polygon Sorry - but what kind of nonsense is this?

Yes, Inkscape has functional issues when used on Apple products.  That is why the management is trying to hire a developer who specializes in the Apple MacBook system.

@HilbertIdeals5I am happy to see that it is a profiles issue and not an Inkscape bug.  Remember, however, the profiles are to manage printed output of digital data originally created in an RGB space.  CMYK and Profile issues happen in the same work flow.  Remember to address both aspects of the issue.

Profiles are also for displays.

@TylerDurdenOk, on that subject, the last time I read a book about that technology, my understanding was that just about every display, device and other style of manufacturer was "doing their own thing" with their designs.  That is why it is so "involved" when a graphic designer tries to make a standard product that looks appropriate across platforms.  I don't see much standardization in the industry regarding this issue.

So, to me, display profiles are another layer to the design process which lays "outside" a package like Inkscape.  Yes, Inkscape can have elements which try to satisfy that audience need.  However, my perspective is that more people will be helped as they learn this software - by reading posts started by others - by addressing issues they are more likely to encounter - filter leakage, automated changes to their color selections, using CMYK in an RGB software....  Of course, their work method should be as fast as it can be.

In this situation, it appears the user had a product pipeline they needed to work on.  Their issues - profiles - or the awareness of what their color space was not doing for them in the Inkscape color space - were unique to their pipeline.  I know there are many who have similar pipelines.  NOOBS, like the homeschool parents I am preparing to send toward Inkscape, need to look for simple problems and solve those before claiming bugs and design issues.

Because everyone has a different monitor - we all have unique colorspace issues.  Learn what Inkscape can do - learn to use the color picker and create art in Inkscape - then buy a Spyder or current equivalent to get the color space correct for a specific monitor. Inkscape can not do everything.

Just my opinion, though.

The screenshot should not include your mouse pointer or the dashed line on the left side of the red square.  You can't use that to analyze just the red.

@AceReality not sure this reply goes in my direction. But the the color meter is fixed to 3x3px in this case and the analyzing area can be adjusted for average values to pixel perfect measurements.

Polygon,

Well I didn't know what I was talking about (just realized) however the comment would have been for Tyler Durden as he took the screenshot and when I read this thread I thought Tyler's comment was from the thread starter HilbertIdeas5.  Please excuse my insomniated state I'm in.  Ok going to get off the forum as I'm too tired to pay attention to all the details.  I thought I was seeing a flaw in the test method however as you pointed out it was adequate and If I had noticed earlier that it was Tyler Durden then I would have known that he wouldn't be using a flawed method.  Good regards to all.

All good.

I took samples of the chip that has the pointer away from that area. The Ifranview histogram includes the pointer, but clearly there is no significant difference from the values reported by Inkscape.