ICC Profile
A data file describing a device's color reproduction characteristics. ICC profiles are the core technology enabling consistent color across monitors, printers, and cameras.
An ICC profile is a standardized data file that numerically describes how a device reproduces or captures color. Files carry the .icc or .icm extension and characterize monitors, printers, scanners, and cameras by mapping device-specific color values to a device-independent reference space.
Color management converts colors from a source profile through the Profile Connection Space (Lab) to a destination profile, ensuring colors appear consistent across devices with different gamuts.
- Input profiles: Map colors captured by cameras or scanners into device-independent space. Created by photographing a standardized color target like ColorChecker
- Display profiles: Characterize a monitor's color output. Created using hardware colorimeters and registered with the OS color management framework
- Output profiles: Define color reproduction for a specific printer-and-paper combination. A single printer requires separate profiles for different paper types
The rendering intent selected during conversion determines how out-of-gamut colors are handled. The four intents are perceptual, relative colorimetric, saturation, and absolute colorimetric. Photographic printing typically uses perceptual intent, compressing the source gamut while preserving tonal relationships. Modern browsers interpret embedded ICC profiles, displaying tagged images in their intended colors.