imgxcolor / Profile Inspector

Color Profile Inspector

Upload any image to read its embedded ICC color profile — name, color space, white point, rendering intent & gamut.

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What Is an ICC Color Profile?

An ICC color profile is a block of standardized metadata embedded in image files that tells software exactly which color space the image was created in. Without a profile, software has to guess — and guessing wrong causes color shifts when converting or printing.

ICC profiles are defined by the International Color Consortium and are used by every professional imaging application: Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign, and all major operating systems and browsers.

Why "No Profile" Causes Problems

When an image has no embedded ICC profile, applications typically assume sRGB — but this assumption is often wrong. A RAW-edited photo might be in Adobe RGB, a scanned document in ECI RGB v2, or a print-prepared file in CMYK/FOGRA39.

Converting a file with the wrong assumed source profile produces incorrect hue shifts, especially in greens, cyans, and blues. The Profile Inspector tells you what profile is actually embedded so you can make the right choice before converting.

What This Tool Reads

  • Profile Name — the human-readable name stored in the desc tag
  • Color Space — the data color space (e.g. RGB, CMYK, Lab, Grayscale)
  • Profile Connection Space (PCS) — the intermediate space used for conversion (XYZ or Lab)
  • White Point — the reference illuminant (D65, D50, etc.)
  • Rendering Intent — Perceptual, Relative Colorimetric, Saturation, or Absolute Colorimetric
  • Gamut Coverage — estimated % of CIE 1931 xy chromaticity diagram
  • ICC Version — profile version and creator signature
  • Full Tag Table — all tags present in the ICC block

Rendering Intents Explained

  • Perceptual (0) — Compresses the gamut to fit within the target; preserves relationships between colors. Best for photographs.
  • Relative Colorimetric (1) — Maps in-gamut colors exactly; clips out-of-gamut. Best for logos and spot colors with white-point adaptation.
  • Saturation (2) — Maximizes vividness at the expense of accuracy. Best for charts and business graphics.
  • Absolute Colorimetric (3) — Like relative but without white-point adaptation. Used for hard proofing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the color profile of an image online?

Upload your image using the drop zone above. The inspector reads the embedded ICC metadata directly from the file bytes in your browser — no server upload needed. Results appear instantly, including profile name, color space, white point, and rendering intent.

What does "no embedded profile" mean?

It means the file was saved without ICC metadata. Most applications will assume sRGB in this case. If you know the image was created in a different color space (e.g. Adobe RGB from a camera), you should manually specify that when converting, rather than trusting the default assumption.

Can JPEG files have embedded ICC profiles?

Yes. ICC profiles in JPEG are stored in the APP2 marker segment. Many cameras embed their color space profile automatically. Photoshop and Lightroom also embed profiles when you export. This inspector reads all standard JPEG ICC placements, including multi-segment APP2 profiles.

Can PNG files have ICC profiles?

Yes. PNG stores ICC data in the iCCP chunk, which is zlib-compressed. This tool decompresses and reads it. Some PNG files instead use the sRGB chunk to signal sRGB without embedding a full profile — this inspector detects that too.

What is the difference between D65 and D50 white points?

D65 (6500K daylight) is the white point used by most screen-oriented profiles: sRGB, Adobe RGB, PAL/SECAM. D50 (5000K slightly warmer) is used by print-oriented profiles like ECI RGB v2, ISO Coated, and FOGRA standards. When converting between D65 and D50 profiles, a chromatic adaptation (Bradford matrix) is applied to compensate.