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I am a new Krita user and confused about the Color Management Settings.

I understand Krita cannot provide the more usual color profiles since they may be copyrighted. On the other hand, I have these profiles already and would like to make Krita do what I am used to in other programs. To keep it simple I tend to use sRGB IEC61966-2.1 for images and 2 monitor profiles made using DisplayCal and an xRite ColorMunki, one for each Display. I have a regular screen as Display 1 and a Cintiq as Display 2. Krita will usually be used on Display 2.

Monitor Profile

In Settings|Configure Krita|Color Management, Display tab:

"Use system monitor profile" is unchecked.
It lists "sRGB-elle-V2-srgbtrc.icc" for both Display 1 and Display 2.

If I check "Use system monitor profile", will it use the ICC profiles I created for Display 1 and 2, respectively (depending on which display Krita is running on) and ignore the ones with elle in the name. Seems like this would be the easiest way to get my calibrated monitor profiles.

If "Use system monitor profile" is unchecked, should I be specifying the appropriate calibrated monitor ICC profiles. (I can add these using "Add new color profile).

Image Profile

Under the General tab, there is a way to specify the color model, presumably for images. There does not seem to be a way to specify the ICC profile (which I would like to be sRGB IEC61966-2.1 for the RGB/Alpha color model). I have added this profile, and notice I can set it in the New file diaplog. It seems to remember it for the next time.

Before adding sRGB IEC61966-2.1, I used the default sRGB-elle-V2-srgbtrc.icc. I saved an image as PNG, checked to embed the profile. When opened in Photoshop, it said the profile was "sRGB built-in (8bpc)". I would have expected "sRGB-elle-V2-srgbtrc.icc", which is the display name for this profile. I don't understand this.

Thanks for the help.

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1 Answer 1

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first, I'm not much proficient in color management. But we can try to figure your problem or at last find a better place to figure it, I wouldn't risk depositing much faith in my suppositions here, so, I recommend that after reading here you go validate/ask directly to developers at https://krita.org/en/irc/.

Monitor Profile

I believe you're using Windows, so I'm not sure it is perfectly fine there but in linux versions where you can set monitors profiles, when using Use system monitor profile it uses the profile system is configured to use for each monitor, as Windows has color management I believe it works the same, but as said Windows must have it, be by yourself in control panelor by your calibration software.

I must add that, when selecting Use system monitor profile it automatically change to my monitors default profiles. And if not selected, it falls back to sRGB-elle-V2-srgbtrc.icc a "safe profile" in terms that it's expected to best fit any generic monitor (that aims sRGB gamut 2.2).

Image Profile

I'm pretty sure you're not unchecking "force convert to sRGB".

But it can be also that you're not setting/modifying image color space correctly, you can:

  • set color profile when image is created.
  • set it in krita settings, Color Management > General by choosing a profile in Default color model for new images, BEFORE creating a new image.
  • Convert it with options from image or layer menu (Krita support profiles per layer, PS don't, so don't mix this if you want to export to PS format files)

I'm pretty sure you're not unchecking "force convert to sRGB" Still it can be a bug so, talking with developers can be fundamental to figure out. At last here it works fine.

Finally to clarify any possible confusion about Krita color management system.

Very simplistic representation of krita color management process:

canvas: Color space in which color math/mixing/etc will be done, can affect the process quality.

proofing: What printer's color space you want to visualize, it will show you what color are out of the printer color space. Canvas will be mapped in a absolute colorimetric intent prooffing color space.

monitor: What is the color space you want to visualize in monitor, proofing or canvas will be mapped perceptually by default, to this color space. You can use it to visualize how your image would be if in the original color space you work or any other, for example it would be pretty different if you work in a linear color space to get orthogonal color mixing.

system: Should be preferably a calibration ICC, monitor Krita output will not perfectly map without changes if the system profile is not a correct calibrated exact/superset of monitor profile. The system will decide what intent will be used.

enter image description here

To finish, just a suggestion. give a try to g10 profiles (linear) as your canvas color space color mixing can surprend you there (more info in this answer). Enjoy Krita. :)

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  • I have been using "Use system monitor profile" and it seems to work. I could not see the difference between checking that and not. There should be a difference. sRGB is definitely different than the monitor profile on the Cintiq, at least.
    – Kenneth Evans
    Apr 8, 2018 at 17:12
  • well there is some problem so because for me it does a big difference, I will see if I can put some photos (even if my cell sucks :( ), be aware that it is giving you the perceptual intent, differences are not to be huge.
    – RomuloPBenedetti
    Apr 8, 2018 at 17:22
  • Plus be aware that if you calibrated your cintiq for sRGB you will really not see much a difference. because your system will be able to perfectly map it perceptually.
    – RomuloPBenedetti
    Apr 8, 2018 at 17:47
  • I decided not to add a photo as it will be not a good example as exposure and other variations contaminate the information. I complemented with some info about Krita color space settings, as it is somewhat bigger than other programs and have extra steps that allow for a separation of working color space and what color space it is visualized in fact.
    – RomuloPBenedetti
    Apr 8, 2018 at 18:49
  • That's a good point about calibrating to sRGB. So it apparently calibrates to sRGB, rather than using sRGB as a profile (which would likely not work well).
    – Kenneth Evans
    Apr 9, 2018 at 18:21

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