Generate and export image proxies

I need image proxies generated for the design system. For the 400 high-res files in the archive, create 1500px-wide proxies at sRGB, apply lossless resizing with sharpening for screen, embed metadata with original filename and JPEG quality 85, and export them into the proxies folder organized by shoot date. Verify five random proxies against their originals for framing and color fidelity before finishing.

Before I hand the proxies to front-end, make them predictable and traceable. Ensure each proxy includes a visible but subtle watermarked filename in the EXIF comment, standardize sharpening so display contrast is consistent, and flag images where resizing introduces moiré or color shifts. Provide a short CSV mapping originals to proxies for developers.

I converted twenty glossy product files to 1500px proxies and a couple show a visible color shift compared with the originals in our CMS. The web team will blame me if shades of red move. I’m not sure whether the issue is the color profile conversion, sharpening settings, or export quality. What is the most likely cause and the single best immediate check to fix the rest of the batch?

Every quarter I redo proxy exports because colors, sharpening, or filenames aren’t consistent and developers file bugs. I waste time remaking large batches. What recurring mistake is costing me the most time, what default should I set once and for all, and how do I enforce it across the team so future exports are correct first pass?