ICCbased

ICCbased refers to software, hardware, or workflows that implement color management based on the standards established by the International Color Consortium (ICC). An ICC-based system uses ICC profiles to describe how colors should be represented and transformed between different devices, with the goal of maintaining color consistency from capture or editing through display and printing.

A core concept in ICCbased workflows is the ICC profile, which encodes device characteristics and color-capability information. A color management module (CMM) uses these profiles to translate colors from a source device’s profile connection space (PCS) to a destination device’s PCS. Rendering intents (such as perceptual, relative colorimetric, absolute colorimetric, and saturation) determine how colors are mapped when the source and destination gamuts differ.

Applications of ICCbased workflows are wide, including digital photography, graphic design, publishing, and professional printing. They rely on properly calibrated devices and accurate profiles to preserve a specific color appearance across stages of production. Practical considerations include profile quality, interoperability among software, and the availability of device-specific or device-link profiles to optimize performance.

Standards and evolution: ICC profiles can be versioned (notably Version 4 in recent implementations), and device-link profiles may be used to streamline conversions between devices. The effectiveness of an ICCbased approach depends on compliant software, well-characterized devices, and consistent profiling practices across the workflow.

See also: International Color Consortium, ICC profile, color management, color management module, rendering intent.