Computer and Software Support


What's a color profile? 

A color profile is a file that describes the color characteristics of a specific device while it's in a particular state. A profile can also contain additional information defining viewing conditions or gamut-mapping methods. Working with your computer's color management system, color profiles help ensure that color content is acceptably rendered, regardless of the device or viewing condition.

In a color management system, color profiles are used to create color transforms, which programs use to convert color from one device’s color space to another. (A color space is a three-dimensional model in which the hue, lightness, and chroma of colors are graphed to represent the rendering capabilities of a device.) When a new device is added to your computer, a color profile for that device might be installed automatically.

There are two main types of color profiles that Windows continues to support: Windows Color System (WCS) and International Color Consortium (ICC) color profiles. This provides you with the greatest variety of choices for customizing color management options and color workflows. WCS is an advanced color management system found in recent versions of Windows. While supporting ICC profile–based color management, WCS provides advanced capabilities not found in existing ICC color management systems.