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.