CMred

CMred is a standardized data format and accompanying software tools designed to manage color metadata with a focus on the red channel within color management workflows. It provides a compact representation of red-related color information to support consistent reproduction across input devices (cameras, scanners) and output devices (monitors, printers). CMred is intended to complement existing color-management standards by ensuring that red-specific constraints are preserved through processing pipelines.

CMred originated with the CMred Consortium, formed in the late 2010s by researchers and industry practitioners seeking to improve cross-device red reproducibility. The initial specification defined the core data model and optional extensions for device profiles, gamut mapping, and rendering intents. Since then, multiple software implementations have integrated CMred to support calibration, archival workflows, and automation in imaging pipelines. The format is designed to interoperate with established color-management ecosystems, including ICC profiles and standard color spaces.

Technically, CMred uses a lightweight header that includes versioning, a profile identifier, and a set of tagged fields describing red luminance, chroma, and perceptual constraints. The data can be embedded within image containers or stored as sidecar metadata, and is suitable for both file-based processing and streaming pipelines. Reference implementations are available in several languages, with bindings for common image processing toolchains.

Adoption of CMred is currently limited to specialized labs, research settings, and certain professional imaging workflows. It is intended to augment, rather than replace, existing standards such as ICC profiles and color-space definitions. Governance is maintained by the CMred Foundation, which oversees specification updates, interoperability testing, and periodic benchmarking.

See also: Color management, ICC color profile, Color space, Rendering intent, Device calibration.