Should web images keep their ICC color profile, or is it safe to remove it?
Asked 11/24/2019
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2 answers
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When exporting photos for the web, some tools offer the option to strip the embedded ICC color profile. I’ve read that browsers usually assume untagged images are sRGB, so removing the profile seems like it might save space without changing how the image looks. Is there any practical reason to keep the profile embedded in web images, and when is it safe to remove it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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If the original ICC profile is sRGB or equivalent, there is usually no harm from removing it.
- sRGB is sometimes added to images that were not originally color managed. (The profile shouldn't be included with the image in the first place.)
- sRGB corresponds to the full color range of unmanaged systems. (Whether the image is tagged or not, it will appear the same when displayed.)
sRGB is usually the default of unmanaged images on managed displays. (The image will be displayed the same regardless of whether it is tagged.)
Some software (GIMP) will ask to convert sRGB to its built-in sRGB profile. The dialog and subsequent "conversion" is just a waste of time.
However, if the profile is for any other colorspace (like AdobeRGB), the colors will be displayed incorrectly (with the wrong colorspace) if the profile is removed. You state that the colors may be displayed incorrectly anyway. But that is a software configuration issue that can be resolved. If you remove the profile, you become the cause of the problem, as well as make it impossible for anyone who doesn't have the original image with profile to display it as intended.
Originally by user75526. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75526
6y ago
0
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In general, keep the ICC profile embedded unless you have a clear reason not to.
If the image is truly in sRGB, removing the profile often won’t change how it appears in many browsers, because untagged images are commonly treated as sRGB. But that is not guaranteed: some browsers or viewing setups may not handle untagged images as sRGB, and on wide-gamut displays this can cause noticeably wrong color.
If the image uses any color space other than sRGB, stripping the profile is a bad idea. Without the profile, the image may be interpreted incorrectly and colors can shift.
So the safe rule is:
- keep the profile for normal web photos
- only consider removing it if the file is definitely sRGB and you care about shaving a small amount of file size
- for tiny graphics/icons, stripping it can make more sense because the profile may add a relatively large amount of data
Also, keeping the profile helps if the image is later downloaded or reused outside the browser, where assumptions about color space may differ.
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