Color space (sRGB, CMYK)
Also known as: color profile, sRGB, CMYK, color model
A color space defines the range of colors an image can use and how they map to red, green, blue, or print inks. sRGB is the standard for screens and the web; CMYK is for print. Using the wrong one makes colors look dull or shifted.
- sRGB is for screens and the web; CMYK is for print
- The wrong color space makes colors look dull or shifted
- Color profiles add little to file size
sRGB vs CMYK
sRGB is the default color space for screens, browsers, and most cameras. It describes color as combinations of red, green, and blue light, and it is the safe choice for anything viewed on a display.
CMYK describes color as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks for printing. A CMYK image sent to a screen often looks muted, and an sRGB image sent to a printer can shift, which is why files are converted between the two for their final use.
Profiles, accuracy, and size
A color profile embedded in a file tells software how to interpret its colors so they look consistent across devices. Stripping or mismatching the profile is a common cause of colors that look off.
Color profiles add only a small amount of data, so they have little effect on file size. The bigger storage factor is the image itself — its resolution, format, and compression.