Windows is a lot more intelligent than you think. Color Management is one such feature that makes it so. If you use multiple monitors or different kinds of printers, then your computer might not be able to give you the best color display on all your devices. To overcome this problem, Windows 11/10 offers Color Profile management system.
What is Windows color profile?
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 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.
Mostly, when a new device is added to your computer, a color profile for that device might be installed automatically. It works perfectly most of the time, but it’s not necessary that automatically created profiles will work fine each time.
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.
Add or manage Color Profiles in Windows 11/10
To add or manage Color Profiles on a Windows 11/10 PC, you may use the Color Management tool.
Add a new Color Profile
Color profiles are usually added automatically when new color devices are installed. Color profiles might also be added by the Color Management tool. If you need to install a new color profile, follow these steps:
- Click Start, open Control Panel
- Search for Color Management.
- Click the All Profiles tab, and then click Add.
- Locate and select the new color profile, and then click Add.
- Click Close.
Manage Color Profiles
Managing color profiles for different devices using the Color Management tool on your Windows 11/10 PC allows for precise control over how colors are displayed on various screens and printers.
- In the Color Management window, you can view all the profiles associated with the selected device under the Devices tab.
- You can set a specific color profile as the default for each device (monitor, printer, scanner), ensuring consistent color representation.
- To delete the association between the color profile and the device, select the profile and click the Remove button. You cannot remove the default profile.
- To change the system defaults for color management and have greater control over how colors are handled by your system, go to the Advanced tab. Click the Calibrate display button under the tab to launch the Display Color Calibration tool. The tool will guide you through adjusting your display settings to create a new color profile.
That’s all about it! In my next article, I will write about how to associate multiple color profiles with one device and how to do other useful things with the color profiles.
How to change color profile in Windows 11?
You may use the built-in Color Management tool to install and assign a custom color profile on your Windows 11/10 PC. Press Win+R, type ‘colorcpl’ in the Run dialogue and press Enter. In the Color Management window, go to the All Profiles tab and click Add. Browse for a custom ICC profile, then click Add. After adding the profile to the list, go to the Devices tab and use the Device dropdown to select the display device for which you want to change the color profile. Check the ‘Use my settings for this device’ box. Click the Add button, select the profile, and click OK. Click ‘Set as Default Profile’ if you wish to use the profile as the default profile for the selected device
How do you change the color scheme in Windows 11?
To change the color scheme of your Windows 11/10 PC, open the Settings app and click on Personalization in the left panel. Click Colors in the right panel. Specify the scheme type (Light/Dark/Custom) using the Choose your mode dropdown. For a Custom color scheme, you may choose ‘Light’ or ‘Dark’ for system elements, apps, and settings windows. For transparent UI elements, use the toggle button next to Transparency effects. Use Accent colors to highlight UI elements like the Start menu, taskbar, title bars, and window borders.
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