What should I do if an image opens in GIMP with a monitor ICC profile instead of sRGB?
Asked 10/13/2021
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2 answers
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When opening an image in GIMP, the embedded profile shows as "PHL 246E7," which appears to be a monitor profile rather than a standard working color space like sRGB. I want to edit and export the image for web use.
What does it mean if an image has a monitor profile embedded? How can I check whether it is actually sRGB or not in GIMP? When exporting, GIMP offers a "Save color profile" checkbox, but not an obvious "convert to sRGB" prompt. If I turn that off, does the exported file have no profile at all, and is that a bad idea for web images?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
2
I can't answer this one with any certainty. The discussion (or argument:) you linked has 2 sides to the same reasoning, in effect.
This throws a spanner in the works of that reasoning because you should never embed a display profile in any image. The display profile should never even be in any workflow. That means this image is an unknown quantity whatever you do with it at import.
I would suggest experimenting.
Without making any other changes, convert one to sRGB at import, save as jpg. Then do the same again, converting only at export. See if you can spot any difference.
There may be differences you can't see, but as the display profile is an unknown quantity, just work with whichever looks good to you.
If the images come from a friend/colleague etc, get them to investigate colour workflow techniques for the future, or at least take their display profile out of their workflow.
Originally by user57929. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user57929
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A monitor profile embedded in an image is a red flag: display profiles generally should not be embedded in image files. It often happens with screenshots. Such a profile is only really meaningful on the system it came from, so the image is an unknown quantity for normal workflow.
In GIMP, you can inspect the assigned profile under Image > Image Properties > Color Profile, and optionally show the image color space in the title/status bar.
For web use, the safest target is sRGB. If the file has a non-sRGB profile, convert it to sRGB rather than keeping a monitor profile attached. The community advice here suggests testing whether converting on import versus export produces any visible difference, but either way the goal is an sRGB result.
If you export with "Save color profile" unchecked, the file will be saved without an embedded profile, not with GIMP’s built-in sRGB automatically attached. For web use, omitting the profile is usually less desirable than embedding sRGB, because color-managed apps then know exactly how to interpret the file.
Also, avoid editing with color management disabled, since GIMP then falls back internally and the image is shown as "not color managed."
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