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How to install an ICC profile on Windows 11

Posted on by darion

How to install an ICC profile on Windows 11 - recommended

Are the colors blurry on the monitor or when printed? You may need to install a custom ICC profile on Windows. Here’s how.

How our eyes interpret what we see on screens is a very subjective matter. I can change the color settings on my monitor and in a matter of seconds what I see can completely change. To help you do this on Windows, you can install the ICC color profile, a standardized color settings profile that ensures everything you see looks the way it should on your device.

If you want to use the ICC profile on Windows 11, follow these steps.

What is an ICC color profile?

An ICC color profile is a set of data that defines how colors should appear on devices, according to standards set by the International Color Consortium (ICC). These profiles ensure color consistency across devices, from monitor to printer.

Your operating system and various applications use ICC profiles as a standard reference for color management. Using these profiles, the software can translate colors to ensure that what you see on your screen is as close to the actual or intended colors as possible.

Most Windows users will not be familiar with or interested in ICC profiles because, in most cases, Windows will try to choose the right one for you from a series of default settings – in most scenarios, these system defaults work fine. However, in Windows 11, you can install custom or device-specific ICC profiles to provide more accurate hardware color management.

Securely download ICC color profiles

If you want a custom ICC color profile, you need to download it from a reliable source. A good place to start is the monitor manufacturer’s website, which may have its own ICC profile for your brand of monitor.

You can also try third-party alternatives, such as those offered by Adobe. However, for maximum accuracy, you’ll need to create your own. This is not easy and you would need a colorimeter to read the data from the display and create a custom profile for you.

If all else fails, you can try the ICC profile from the International Color Consortium, the standard-setting body for ICC profiles.

How to install and use a custom ICC profile on Windows 11

If you want to use a custom ICC color profile, you must use Color management tool. To do this, you can use the steps below.

  1. Open the Start menu, type color managementand select The best match result at the top.
    Open Color Management in WindowsOpen Color Management in Windows
  2. WITH Device from the drop-down menu, select the device you want to customize – usually a monitor or printer.
  3. Check Use my settings for this device box.
    Selecting a device in Color Management in WindowsSelecting a device in Color Management in Windows
  4. Then click To add to install a new profile.
    Adding a new ICC profile in WindowsAdding a new ICC profile in Windows
  5. Select one of the profiles from the list in Related color profile menu, then click APPROX. To add your own, click Scroll and select it first.
    Selecting a new ICC profile to add in WindowsSelecting a new ICC profile to add in Windows
  6. Once installed, the profile will appear in the Color Management window. Select and click Set as default profile to activate it.
    Setting a new default ICC profile in WindowsSetting a new default ICC profile in Windows

Your device should be updated immediately to use the new color standards – your monitor may blink or go dark a few times before this changes. If it doesn’t look right, try a different profile until you find the one that best suits your monitor.

How to reset color profiles in Windows 11

If you prefer to return to the default color profile on your Windows computer, you can do so using the Color Management menu.

  1. Type Color management in the Start menu, then select The best match result.
    Open Color Management in WindowsOpen Color Management in Windows
  2. In Devices tab in Color management select the device you want to reset.
    Select a device in Windows Color ManagementSelect a device in Windows Color Management
  3. Uncheck the box next to it Use my settings for this device option.
    Restore default color settings in WindowsRestore default color settings in Windows
  4. Then click Profiles > Reset my settings to system defaults.
    Resetting the ICC profile settings to the default Windows configurationResetting the ICC profile settings to the default Windows configuration

The display will return to the default color profile, but may blink or go dark several times before the process is completed.

Using ICC profiles in Windows 11

I use ICC profiles in Windows 11 to make the colors I see on my monitors as realistic as possible. Monitor manufacturers help with this by providing standard ICC profiles that you can use, as do developers like Adobe for more personalized configurations. ICC profiles are also important for other devices that require true color, such as printers.

Try the new profile by following the steps above – if it doesn’t feel right, you can always go back and reset your computer to the default color pattern.