Matthieu LegougeHardware specialistOctober 22, 2021 at 3:308 p.m.Contents © Shutterstock

During our monitor tests, it is not uncommon for our probe measurements and our protocol to lead us to the creation of a color profile. We explain how to import and install it as simply as possible.

The process is very simple since in most cases you just need to right click on the file with the extension .icc or .icm then select “Install a profile” to find it in the color manager. The process is similar on most operating systems. However, we are going to take a closer look at what a color profile is and how to ensure that it is correctly applied to your screen.

Testing a screen requires a specific protocol and tools to be carried out. Today we tell you a little more about how we review them at Clubic.Read more

What is a color profile?

Indispensable in many cases, a color profile takes the form of a file in which we find all the colorimetric data of a device or even a color palette, in other words a colorimetric space. . This is a particularly important parameter for creators and professionals who must master color management across the entire graphic chain, in which many peripherals may be involved: monitor, camera, printer, video projector and so on. . To summarize, it is essentially a question of finding the same colors from one device to another. For example, a photographer will want to retouch his shots with precision and find, from screen to print, the same results. To do this, both the screen and the printer must be calibrated.

However, a color profile is not only necessary to master the color management system between various devices. It is also used, more generally, to improve the precision and colorimetric accuracy of a device, in this case a monitor. As we can observe regularly in our tests, the monitors delivered with a really precise and conclusive factory calibration are not legion. As a general rule, manufacturers provide a calibration certificate on certain monitors, more often on ranges dedicated to graphic arts professionals, but also sometimes on gaming screens.

How to create a color profile?

The color profile is created through device calibration. It is necessary to use a colorimeter and calibration software. We use Calman Ultimate from Portrait Displays for all stages of our testing, but some manufacturers have developed their own calibration solutions. This is the case for example with LG Calibration Studio or Asus ProArt Calibration Software, while some screens even include their own colorimeter!

Finally, it's important to know that you won't always get good results using a profile created by someone else. First, because monitor panels vary more or less from one model to another, but also for two other reasons: if the monitor's default settings have been changed before applying the profile, and also because of the monitor / graphics card couple since it is the latter that controls the way colors are displayed. Nevertheless, applying a profile created on another computer can greatly help you to have a more faithful display, which is particularly true for screens whose factory settings are strawberry.

How to apply a color profile to your screen?

Once the ICC profile is in your possession, you can double-click or select "Install profile" after a right-click to add it to the Windows color profile manager.

It is then automatically exported to the folder where all the ICC profiles are stored on your computer, you can also copy it directly to this location. In Windows 10 and Windows 11, the path is: C:/Windows/system32/spool/drivers/color.

The process is the same under Mac OS, the profiles can be copied to the following location: /Library/Colorsync/Profiles. Then open "ColorSync" to manage your different profiles and devices.

Under Linux, the folder dedicated to ICC profiles is the following: ~/.local/share/icc.

This does not apply the color profile to your screen. We now need to open the Windows Color Manager, by simply typing “color management” into the start menu search field.

Three tabs are presented to you: "Devices", "All profiles" and "Advanced". You will find the profile you have just installed, or copied to the dedicated folder, in the “All profiles” section. If it is not there, click on “Add” then select the desired profile.

Back on the device tab, select the monitor on which to apply the profile then check the box “Use my settings for this device”. Then click on "Add" at the bottom left, then select the desired profile in the window that appears. If no other profile was saved for this device, then the added profile is set as the default profile.

Then go to the “Advanced” tab and click on “Change default values”. An identical window then opens, go back to "Advanced", make sure that the profile is the right one in front of "Device profile" then, just below, select the option "WCS profile for ICC display conditions ". Finally, check the box “Use Windows screen calibration before closing the dialog box.

The ICC profile should be correctly applied at this time. You will find it in the Windows display settings, as shown in the screenshot above. Of course, the application of a profile is very simply reversible. In the color manager, click on "Profiles" in the lower right, then select "Restore my settings to the system default".

Some Alternatives

There are several alternative and free solutions to create and manage color profiles. We think for example of DisplayProfile, published by X-rite, which allows you to list and change color profiles on the fly. If you have multiple screens, simply drag the dialog to the target screen to apply a profile there.

Finally, the Portrait Displays Client 3 application fulfills several roles, including that of managing color profiles. It makes it easy to switch between different profiles and screens.

Where can I find ICC profiles to download?

An ICC profile for a particular screen is not always easy to find. It is for this reason that we have started to make available the profiles that we create during our monitor tests. Our list is still sparse, but it will expand over the months with new references. It should be noted that if adjustments have been made beforehand via the monitor's OSD, they are systematically indicated in the article in question. Below you will find our list of monitors, with link to the test, for which we have created an ICC profile after calibration.

Finally, if you are looking for a particular profile, for older as well as recent monitors, there is a good chance that you will find what you are looking for at TFT Central. This site has for some time offered a database of ICC profiles enriched by both monitor tests and reader contributions.