Zielgamut

Zielgamut is a term used in color management to denote the target color gamut that an imaging pipeline aims to reproduce. The word combines the German "Ziel" (goal or target) with "gamut" and is employed in discussions of color reproduction to describe the final gamut intended for output, independent of the source content. In practice, the Zielgamut is defined by device capabilities, viewing conditions, and the intended medium.

In workflows, Zielgamut is selected to optimize perceptual fidelity within technical constraints. It serves as the destination for color mapping from the source gamut, and it can be larger or smaller than either the input or display gamuts depending on the pipeline. The choice of Zielgamut influences how colors are represented after gamut mapping and which rendering intent is applied.

Implementation typically involves choosing a target color space or device profile that encodes the Zielgamut. ICC profiles and color-management systems map input colors into this target space. Rendering intents such as perceptual, relative colorimetric, or saturation are used to handle out-of-gamut colors and maintain consistent appearance within the Zielgamut across devices and media.

Applications of the concept appear in printing, display calibration, and digital photography workflows, where defining a clear Zielgamut helps balance color accuracy, reproduceability, and viewing conditions. Critics note that because Zielgamut is not a universal standard, it can vary between workflows, potentially leading to inconsistencies in cross-device color reproduction.

See also: color management, gamut, target color space, ICC profile, rendering intent.