Inspiring

Question

Color Management Windows 11

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
October 7, 2023
4 replies
13579 views

I am looking to upgrade my OS from Windows 10 to 11 and noticed there are some new features regarding color management. Specifically the new "Auto Color Management" ACM system. Does this system conflict at all with the Adobe color management system? Are there any settings or parameters that I need to be aware of/disable for a proper color-managed workflow?

I use a wide gamut hardware calibrated display (in native gamut).

Windows

P

POMara

Participant

This is an enlightening thread. I work in Lightroom Classic, I1 Display calibration, Windows 11 Home. Recently I have noticed that web output srgb has a color cast that does not appear in LR. I see it on my screen when I check them on my desktop. It is most glaring with white backgrounds.

Is this related to OS11? It's a new issue for me.

Thanks in advance

NB, colourmanagement

Community Expert

@POMara long ago there were some display calibration issues with W11, but they were solved in an update, to the best of my knowledge.

What application are you using to mvierw the files after exporting~~?
And, as @D Fosse asked, are you embedding the sRGB profile?

Also are you converting images to sRGB (currently that's the best procedure for Internet destined files)

I hope this helps

neil barstow colourmanagement - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colourmanagement online

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Ricardo CGI

Inspiring

@Ricardo CGI

We need to get into how this actually works. Functionally, color management is very simple. There's a source profile (document), and there's a destination profile (display). As you work, the former is converted into the latter, in a perfectly standard profile conversion, and these corrected numbers are sent to screen. That's all.

If both profiles are correct and accurate, and the conversion executed correctly, the image has to display correctly, by definition. There is either a conversion, or there is no conversion - depending on whether the application supports color management or not. There is nothing in between.

Historically, the difference between Mac and Windows is that on Mac, the conversion is called by the application, but the execution is sent out to the OS. On Windows, the application handles everything - the OS just makes the profiles available when requested.

The downside with the Mac model is that there's an extra layer where bugs can happen. And they do - e.g. https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/photoshop-not-showing-correct-colors-update-after-3-weeks-of-troubleshooting/m-p/15126107/page/2#M851090 which is still unresolved.

I have worked as a photographer at an art museum for, oh, seventeen years now, using wide gamut Eizos all the time on Windows. Obviously, in this line of work, color accuracy needs to be absolutely perfect. Color management on Windows is rock solid and never fails as long as the application gets it right.

(edited and rewritten for clarity).

No, that’s not just my opinion. I’m speaking from a technical standpoint.

Apple’s ColorSync is a system-wide color management solution that ensures uniformity across all applications that support ICC profiles. This means that when you view an image in Photoshop, Safari, Preview, or even Finder, the colors remain consistent. On the other hand, Windows’ color management is fragmented and inconsistent, as it relies on ICM (Image Color Management), which is not enforced at the OS level in the same seamless way. Some applications fully support ICC profiles, while others do not, leading to unexpected color shifts.

This is why macOS is often the preferred choice for professionals in photography, video editing, and design, it eliminates the guesswork and reduces the risk of color inconsistencies. However, this does not mean you cannot achieve perfect color accuracy on Windows. If you manually calibrate your display with high-end hardware, configure ICC profiles correctly, and ensure all applications use proper color management, you can achieve results just as good. The key difference is that Windows requires significantly more effort and technical knowledge to get there, while macOS provides a more streamlined experience out of the box.

At no point did I say that Windows cannot be used for professional workflows. This discussion is about the frustrations that users face when trying to achieve consistent color accuracy on Windows. Many users struggle with applications ignoring ICC profiles, multi-monitor inconsistencies, and unexpected color rendering issues, which is why this topic generates so much debate.

Ricardo CGI

Inspiring

Hi guys,

I just got a wide-gamut monitor and would like to take advantage of it in Windows 11. The issue is that I don't see the ACM toggle over the advanced display settings, and as far as I know, my PC meets the requirements for this.

Do you have an idea why? Any help would be a good starting point in order to solve this.

Ricardo

NB, colourmanagement

Community Expert

@Ricardo CGI As long as your display has an accurate ICC profile the operating system and Photoshop will use it correctly.

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.
Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

Ricardo CGI

Inspiring

Hi,

Absolutely. PS always did a great job. The point is that all other apps which are not color-managed will look oversaturated in Windows 11. That's why I'm trying to find some user experience with the new ACM in Win 11 where for some reason, I don't have it available in mine.

D Fosse

Community Expert

I haven't taken the jump to 11 yet, despite nag screens on an almost daily basis 😉 My opinion is that Windows 10 is the perfect operating system and I have no desire to change anything about it. But one day I have to.

But I've been doing some quick reading, and ACM shouldn't affect Photoshop, or any other icc-based color managed application, in any practical way.

What it looks like to me, is that they're moving color managment execution away from the application and into the operating system. This is the Apple model, and I'm not sure I like it. Previously, Windows just managed profiles and made them available to the application as needed, and then the actual conversion was handled by the application.

The problem with having the OS do it is that it's more exposed to bugs, and much less transparent for troubleshooting if it fails. And if bugs do hit, there's nothing you can do. That's what we've been telling Mac users the whole time: "you just have to wait for an OS update". I don't want to sit around waiting. I want to know exactly where the problem is and find workarounds.

But I suppose they need to do this for HDR support. It should also be said that historically, Microsoft have been very good at fixing problems quickly. I just don't like to put everything into the hands of the guys in white lab coats.

R

romany36267645Author

Inspiring

I've also been quite happy with Windows 10. The OS isn't without issue however, and it's been brought to my attention that Windows can be a bit buggy with multi monitor color management. I've been told that Windows can "arbitrarily unload system profiles". I believe programs like ColorNavigator look out for issues like this, and reload the profiles as needed.

"ACM shouldn't affect Photoshop, or any other icc-based color managed application, in any practical way" This would be the case if it was implemented properly. I came across a post by another user that suggested this was not the case.
He claimed that Photoshop would no longer show colors outside of sRGB. He also has issues with 10 bit support. https://www.reddit.com/r/Monitors/comments/15e75xa/windows_11_acm_is_just_another_piece_of_trash_on/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

It's worth noting that he was using a preview version of windows. He does say however that the system has been atleast partially rolled out in official released versions. This was 2 months ago, and i'm unsure how things have changed since.

I saw in the dev blogs that there is an option to "use legacy display icc color management". I wonder if that is the solution for programs that are already color-managed such as Photoshop. Is it perhaps best to avoid Windows 11 altogether for the time being while they make this transition?

D Fosse

Community Expert

it's been brought to my attention that Windows can be a bit buggy with multi monitor color management. I've been told that Windows can "arbitrarily unload system profiles". I believe programs like ColorNavigator look out for issues like this, and reload the profiles as needed.

By @romany36267645

Well, I've been hearing that on and off since Windows xp, and never seen it myself. It's always been dead reliable for me. I always suspected user error in these cases. Lots of people don't understand the basic difference between calibration tables and monitor profile, and basically misunderstand how the whole thing works. So they do things that they shouldn't.

I do use ColorNavigator with two monitors - and so does @davescm who has made the jump to 11. Any problems or things we should know about, Dave?

Bojan Živković11378569

Community Expert

I will tag @D Fosse who may be able to help you.

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