Colour profile

• Colour profiles address the fact that it may not be possible to reproduce all the colours that an observer sees in an original scene or on-screen.
• The primary function of a colour profile is to select a colour space that ensures all the colours within an image can be successfully reproduced. In other words, the range of colours output to a device, such as a printer, are adjusted to fit its colour space and ensure they are in-gamut.
• Colour profiles can ensure that original colours are managed consistently as an image makes the transition, for example, from a camera through editing to the paper or screen on which it will be displayed.
• Editing software such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic can be set to match the make and model of the camera, the file format, and user-defined settings. These camera-matching profiles ensure that in-camera profiles and picture styles are honoured as they are imported into the editing environment.
• If a camera is set to RAW, then all data recorded about a subject is saved using a colour profile that may be specific to the camera but ignores all other style settings.
• If a camera is set to JPG, then data recorded about a subject is compressed using a colour profile that aims to find a balance between file size and image quality. In this case, more user-determined settings may be imported into the editing environment.

Remember that:

• Camera profiles are derived from the physics of a camera’s sensor, from lighting conditions, and from the subjective colour perception of a scene that a photographer wishes to record.
• Most editing software maps the profile and setting it receives from a camera to an ICC-compatible colour space such as Adobe RGB, Prophoto, or sRGB.
• Monitor profiles determine how images are displayed to maintain consistency and enable critical decisions to be made in terms of colour choices.
• Output device profiles map the colours in an edited image to the colour space of an output device, such as a desktop printer.
• Printer profiles map the colours in a document to the colours that are within the gamut of an output device’s colour space.
• Printer profiles often take into consideration specific printing conditions, such as the type of paper and ink.

• Colour management is crucial in maintaining consistent and accurate colours across different devices and media, such as monitors, printers, and screens.
• The use of colour profiles ensures that colours are reproduced as faithfully as possible, even when transitioning between various devices and colour spaces.
• In professional workflows, the proper calibration of monitors and printers, along with the use of accurate colour profiles, is essential to achieve precise and predictable colour results.