Displayreferred

Displayreferred is a term used in color management and digital imaging to describe color data that is defined with reference to a specific display device. A displayreferred color space is device-dependent and incorporates the display's primaries, white point, and tone response (gamma). This contrasts with scene-referred (or data-referred) color spaces, which are defined independently of any particular viewing device and aim to describe the color of the scene or provide a device-agnostic representation.

In typical imaging workflows, image data may exist in a displayreferred form for direct viewing on calibrated displays, or in a scene-referred form during capture and processing. Rendering pipelines often convert between spaces: scene-referred data are transformed into displayreferred data for viewing, using color management systems and device profiles (for example ICC profiles) that relate a display's characteristics to a profile connection space. When data are viewed on different displays, the same displayreferred values may produce different appearances unless the display is calibrated and color-managed.

Common examples of displayreferred spaces include sRGB and Rec. 709 color spaces as used for standard displays; more modern displays and workflows may use Display P3 or other gamut definitions with corresponding gamma curves. However, the exact output depends on the display's characteristics and ambient viewing conditions.

Limitations include device dependency and potential inconsistency across displays. Understanding whether values are displayreferred or scene-referred is important for accurate color reproduction and color-critical workflows.