Which colour profile should I use for digital art?

For web display, use sRGB — it matches most monitors. For print, Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB captures more colours your printer can reproduce. For iPad/Mac work, Display P3 is the native wide-gamut profile.

What happens when I convert colour profiles?

Colours outside the target gamut are mapped to the nearest reproducible colour. This is called gamut clipping or gamut mapping. Soft-proofing shows you the result before converting so you can adjust colours manually.

FOGRA39 (Coated FOGRA39) is the standard CMYK profile for coated paper printing in Europe. It defines the exact colours a standard offset press can reproduce on coated paper stock. UK printers typically use this profile.

Should I work in ProPhoto RGB?

ProPhoto RGB has the widest gamut but includes colours that are physically impossible to see. It requires 16-bit colour depth to avoid banding. Use it only if your workflow is 16-bit end-to-end and you understand colour management.

Why do my prints look different from my screen?

Most monitors display sRGB, which is narrower than what printers can produce (and vice versa). Calibrate your monitor, use the correct colour profile, and always soft-proof before printing.

ArtCalcs

Colour Profile Calculator — Gamut Comparison

Compare colour gamuts and calculate colour space coverage for sRGB, Adobe RGB and CMYK.

Source Profile

Target Profile

Unique Colours in Image (optional)

Estimate from Image > Histogram in Photoshop

How We Calculate This

How Colour Profile Comparison Works

Gamut overlap = Percentage of source colours reproducible in target

Each colour profile covers a percentage of the visible spectrum. When converting, colours outside the target gamut are clipped. The calculator shows gamut coverage and the percentage of colours that transfer without loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always verify quantities before purchasing materials.