Colour Spaces Explained
Written by Abin Alex and Anu Joseph.
Abstract
A colour space is the range of colours, called a gamut, that an image file or device can hold. This guide compares the three common spaces for photographs, sRGB, Adobe RGB and ProPhoto RGB, from smallest to largest, and explains why the camera setting matters for JPEG files but not for RAW files. It shows where the setting is found on cameras from different makers, how colour space differs from white balance and picture styles, and how to choose a space for web, print and editing. Its rule is to capture wide, edit with care and export for the destination.
Keywords: colour space; sRGB; Adobe RGB; ProPhoto RGB; colour management
- What is a colour space?
- What is sRGB and when should I use it?
- What is Adobe RGB and who needs it?
- What is ProPhoto RGB?
- Does the camera colour space matter for RAW and JPEG?
- Where do I set the colour space on my camera?
- How is colour space different from white balance and picture styles?
- Which colour space should I choose, and what goes wrong with the wrong one?
What is a colour space?
Short answer. A colour space is a defined range of colours that a file or a device can hold. It is set by the red, green and blue primaries, the white point and the tone curve (ICC, n.d.).
- Think of a colour space as a box that stores colours. A bigger box can hold more saturated colours.
- The three common spaces for photographs are sRGB, Adobe RGB and ProPhoto RGB, from smallest to largest.
- The same numbers can look different in different spaces, so software must know which space a file uses. A profile inside the file tells it.
- Software that reads the profile is called colour managed. Software that ignores it shows wrong colours (Canon Inc., n.d.-b).
The same photograph of a green forest can look rich in one space and flat in another when the screen cannot show the wider range.
Video also has colour spaces. HD television and web video use Rec. 709 (ITU-R, 2015). Cinema cameras record in wider spaces.
Cham tipA colour space is a container. A bigger container does not make a better picture by itself.
Cham taskOpen a photo in editing software. Look at its profile name in the file information.
Check yourself: What is a colour space?
The range of colours that a file or device can hold.
What is sRGB and when should I use it?
Short answer. sRGB is the standard colour space for the web, phones and most screens. Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft proposed it in 1996, and the IEC later standardised it as IEC 61966-2-1 (W3C, n.d.).
- Use sRGB for websites, social media and general sharing. Almost every device and app expects it (W3C, n.d.).
- Sony calls it the standard colour space of the camera and recommends it for normal shooting (Sony Corporation, n.d.-a). Canon and Fujifilm also recommend it for normal use (Canon Inc., n.d.-a) (Fujifilm Corporation, n.d.-a).
- If a picture in a wider space opens on a device that does not manage colour, it can look dull (Canon Inc., n.d.-b).
- sRGB holds fewer colours than the other two spaces, but the files stay small and safe.
Photographs for Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, websites, phones, laptops and TV screens all work best in sRGB.
Rec. 709 video uses the same primary colours as sRGB (ITU-R, 2015). That is why sRGB pictures sit well in an HD edit.
Cham tipWhen you are unsure, choose sRGB. It looks correct on the widest range of devices.
Cham taskExport one photo in sRGB. Open it on a phone and on a computer. Check that the colours match.
Check yourself: When should you choose sRGB?
For the web, social media, phones and general sharing.
What is Adobe RGB and who needs it?
Short answer. Adobe RGB (1998) is a wider colour space defined by Adobe Systems. It holds more colours than sRGB, and most of the extra range is in greens and cyans (ICC, n.d.).
- Adobe RGB uses a D65 white point and a tone curve of about 2.2 (ICC, n.d.).
- Use it for prints and for a colour-managed workflow in Lightroom or Photoshop.
- Sony says Adobe RGB needs colour-managed applications or printers. Without them, colours print or display wrongly, and on other devices pictures look less saturated (Sony Corporation, n.d.-a).
- Fujifilm notes that the extra colours help mainly in commercial CMYK printing with a calibrated workflow and a wide-gamut monitor (Fujifilm Corporation, n.d.-a).
- Sony and Canon mark Adobe RGB JPEG files by starting the file name with an underscore (Sony Corporation, n.d.-a) (Canon Inc., n.d.-a).
Landscape and nature photographers who print books or fine art prints gain the most. Flowers, foliage and rich artwork also hold more colour detail.
Adobe RGB is a stills space. Video cameras and cinema cameras work in Rec. 709 or wider cinema spaces.
Cham tipOnly use Adobe RGB if your whole chain, from editing to printing, is colour managed.
Cham taskShoot a green landscape as JPEG in sRGB and in Adobe RGB. Compare them in colour-managed software.
Check yourself: Why does Adobe RGB need colour management?
Without it, devices cannot read the wider range and the colours look wrong or dull.
What is ProPhoto RGB?
Short answer. ProPhoto RGB is the widest of the three common spaces. It is the ROMM RGB encoding, standardised in ISO 22028-2:2013 (ISO, 2013).
- Some of its primary colours lie outside the colours the eye can see, so no screen can show all of it directly.
- It suits editing RAW files, landscape and fine art work, and archives where you want to keep the most colour information.
- Edit in 16-bit when you use it, to avoid banding in smooth gradients.
- Do not share it directly. Convert to sRGB for the web or to Adobe RGB for print when you export.
- Cameras do not offer it as a still-image setting. Sony, Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm list only sRGB and Adobe RGB (Sony Corporation, n.d.-a) (Canon Inc., n.d.-a) (Nikon Corporation, n.d.) (Fujifilm Corporation, n.d.-a). You use ProPhoto RGB as a working space in editing software.
A fine art photographer edits a RAW file in ProPhoto RGB. The print file goes out as Adobe RGB and the web copy as sRGB.
Colourists also edit in wide working spaces and convert to the delivery space at the end, for example Rec. 709 for HD (ITU-R, 2015).
Cham tipCapture wide, edit wisely, and always convert for the destination.
Cham taskIn your editing software find the working colour space setting. Note which space it uses now.
Check yourself: Where do you use ProPhoto RGB?
As a working space when you edit RAW files, then you convert on export.
Does the camera colour space matter for RAW and JPEG?
Short answer. The camera colour space setting matters for JPEG files. A RAW file is not locked to sRGB or Adobe RGB, so you choose the working space when you process it (Canon Inc., n.d.-b).
- JPEG: the camera applies the chosen space and saves a finished file. Choose sRGB for most uses and Adobe RGB for high quality prints.
- HEIF: the Sony setting has no effect. HEIF files are recorded in sRGB, or in BT.2100 when HLG still image is on (Sony Corporation, n.d.-a).
- RAW: you pick the space in editing and again on export. In Canon Digital Photo Professional the default work space is sRGB, and you can change it (Canon Inc., n.d.-b).
- Always export the final picture in the space that suits its use.
| JPEG | RAW | |
|---|---|---|
| Camera colour space setting | Applied to the file | Not locked to the file |
| Where you choose the space | In the camera | In editing software |
| Change it later | Only by converting, and wide colours can clip | Yes, when you process the file |
Table 1. How the camera colour space setting affects JPEG and RAW files (Canon Inc., n.d.-b).
Shoot RAW and your colour choices stay open. Shoot JPEG and the camera setting is final for that file.
Cinema RAW formats such as Blackmagic RAW and RED RAW also keep the colour choice for the grade (Blackmagic Design, n.d.) (RED Digital Cinema, n.d.).
Cham tipShooting RAW? Set the camera to sRGB anyway. It keeps the screen preview and any JPEG copies safe.
Cham taskShoot one scene in RAW and JPEG. Open both and find the colour space of each.
Check yourself: Does the camera colour space change a RAW file?
No. You choose the space when you process the RAW file.
Where do I set the colour space on my camera?
Short answer. On stills cameras the setting is usually called Color Space and offers sRGB and Adobe RGB. Cinema cameras use their own colour systems.
- Sony: Color Space in the still image menu, with sRGB and AdobeRGB (Sony Corporation, n.d.-a).
- Canon: Shooting tab, Shooting: Color space, with sRGB and Adobe RGB (Canon Inc., n.d.-a).
- Nikon: a Color space item with sRGB and Adobe RGB (Nikon Corporation, n.d.).
- Fujifilm: a Color Space option with sRGB and Adobe RGB (Fujifilm Corporation, n.d.-a).
- RED: IPP2 works in REDWideGamutRGB with the Log3G10 curve (RED Digital Cinema, n.d.).
- Blackmagic: Generation 5 colour science records in a custom 12-bit non-linear space (Blackmagic Design, n.d.).
- Hasselblad: Phocus edits in Hasselblad working spaces, including the L*RGB wide-gamut space (Hasselblad, n.d.). ARRI: REVEAL converts camera RGB to ARRI Wide Gamut 4 (ARRI, n.d.).
- Menu names and positions change with the camera model. Check your manual.
| Maker | Setting or system | Choices |
|---|---|---|
| Sony | Color Space (still image) | sRGB, AdobeRGB |
| Canon | Shooting: Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Nikon | Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Fujifilm | Color Space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| RED | IPP2 image pipeline | REDWideGamutRGB with Log3G10 |
| Blackmagic Design | Generation 5 colour science | Custom 12-bit non-linear space (Blackmagic RAW) |
| Hasselblad | Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution | Hasselblad working spaces in Phocus, including the L*RGB wide-gamut space |
| ARRI | REVEAL Color Science | ARRI Wide Gamut 4 with the LogC4 curve |
Table 2. Colour space settings by maker (Sony Corporation, n.d.-a) (Canon Inc., n.d.-a) (Nikon Corporation, n.d.) (Fujifilm Corporation, n.d.-a) (RED Digital Cinema, n.d.) (Blackmagic Design, n.d.) (Hasselblad, n.d.) (ARRI, n.d.).
For stills, set the camera once to sRGB, then change to Adobe RGB only when a print job needs it.
On a cinema camera you do not choose sRGB or Adobe RGB. You record in the maker wide gamut and convert to the delivery space, often Rec. 709, in the grade (ITU-R, 2015).
Cham tipWrite your colour space on the day-one setup card, so every camera in a shoot matches.
Cham taskFind the Color Space item in your camera menu. Note its name and the current setting.
Check yourself: What are the usual colour space choices on a stills camera?
sRGB and Adobe RGB.
How is colour space different from white balance and picture styles?
Short answer. Colour space sets the range of colours a file can hold. White balance sets the warmth. A picture style or look sets contrast, saturation and mood. They are three separate settings.
- Colour space: the range of colours in the file, such as sRGB or Adobe RGB.
- White balance: the overall warm or cool tone, so whites look neutral. See the guide on colour temperature and white balance.
- Look setting: Canon calls it Picture Style, Nikon Picture Control, Sony Creative Look for stills and movies and Picture Profile for movies, Fujifilm Film Simulation and Panasonic Photo Style (Panasonic Corporation, n.d.). Hasselblad, ARRI, RED and Blackmagic use their own colour science. See the guide on picture styles and camera calibration.
- Sony Creative Look has presets such as ST, PT, NT, VV, FL, BW and SE, with sliders for contrast, highlights, shadows, fade, saturation and clarity (Sony Corporation, n.d.-b).
- Sony Picture Profile adjusts the gamma curve, colour and detail, and applies them during recording before compression (Sony Corporation, n.d.-c).
- Fujifilm Film Simulation imitates the colour and tone of Fujifilm film stocks (Fujifilm Corporation, n.d.-b).
| Setting | What it controls | Names by maker |
|---|---|---|
| Colour space | Range of colours in the file | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| White balance | Warm or cool colour tone | Daylight, Tungsten, Kelvin |
| Look setting | Contrast, saturation and mood | Picture Style (Canon), Picture Control (Nikon), Creative Look and Picture Profile (Sony), Film Simulation (Fujifilm), Photo Style (Panasonic) |
Table 3. Three different settings (Sony Corporation, n.d.-b) (Sony Corporation, n.d.-c) (Fujifilm Corporation, n.d.-b).
A wrong look setting is easy to fix on a RAW file. A wrong white balance is also fixable. A wrong colour space on a JPEG is harder to fix.
On Sony cinema workflows the Picture Profile sets the gamma and colour. RED and Blackmagic build the look in IPP2 and Generation 5 colour science (RED Digital Cinema, n.d.) (Blackmagic Design, n.d.).
Cham tipSet them in order: colour space, then white balance, then the look.
Cham taskList the three settings on your camera and write what each one controls in your own words.
Check yourself: Is a picture style the same as a colour space?
No. A colour space sets the colour range. A picture style sets contrast, saturation and mood.
Which colour space should I choose, and what goes wrong with the wrong one?
Short answer. Use sRGB for the web and sharing, Adobe RGB for print in a colour-managed workflow, and ProPhoto RGB for editing. Capture wide, edit wisely and export for the destination.
- If you mostly share online or on phones, use sRGB.
- If you print or need more colour detail and your chain is colour managed, use Adobe RGB.
- If you do advanced editing, use ProPhoto RGB as the working space and convert on export.
- Problem: dull colours appear when a wide-gamut picture opens on a device that cannot read it (Canon Inc., n.d.-b).
- Problem: colours can look unnatural or shifted when a wide space is shown without colour management.
- Problem: a careless conversion can lose subtle colour in highlights and shadows.
- To avoid them: choose the space in the camera, use a colour-managed workflow, convert before sharing or printing, and check the result on the final device.
| Space | Best for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| sRGB | Web, social media, phones, TV | Smaller range of colours |
| Adobe RGB | Prints, photobooks, strong greens | Needs colour management |
| ProPhoto RGB | Editing RAW, fine art, archive | Convert before sharing |
Table 4. Choosing a colour space (W3C, n.d.) (ICC, n.d.) (ISO, 2013).
A simple routine: shoot RAW, edit in a wide space, then export sRGB for the web and Adobe RGB for the printer.
The same routine holds in video: record wide, grade in a wide space, deliver in the space the screen needs.
Cham tipAlways check the final output on the device it is made for: web, print or projector.
Cham taskExport one RAW file for the web and for print. Name the files with the space used.
Check yourself: Which space do you use to share online?
sRGB.
Questions beginners ask
What is a colour space?
A colour space is the range of colours that an image file or device can hold (ICC, n.d.). It is defined by its red, green and blue primaries, white point and tone curve.
Which colour space is best for photography?
Should I shoot in sRGB or Adobe RGB?
Choose sRGB for most uses. Choose Adobe RGB only if your editing and printing chain is colour managed (Sony Corporation, n.d.-a) (Fujifilm Corporation, n.d.-a).
Does colour space matter if I shoot RAW?
The camera setting does not lock a RAW file. You choose the working space when you process the file (Canon Inc., n.d.-b).
Why do my colours look dull on the web?
A picture in a wide space such as Adobe RGB can look dull on devices that do not manage colour. Convert it to sRGB before you share it (Canon Inc., n.d.-b) (Sony Corporation, n.d.-a).
What is ProPhoto RGB used for?
It is a very wide working space for editing RAW files and fine art work. Convert to sRGB or Adobe RGB when you export (ISO, 2013).
References
- ARRI (n.d.) REVEAL Color Science. www.arri.com/reveal (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Blackmagic Design (n.d.) Blackmagic RAW. www.blackmagicdesign.com/se/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera/blackmagicraw (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Canon Inc. (n.d.-a) Color Space. Camera User Guide. cam.start.canon/en/C012/manual/html/UG-04_Shooting-1_0220.html (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Canon Inc. (n.d.-b) How do I set a work color space in Digital Photo Professional? Canon Philippines Support. ph.canon/en/support/8200328500 (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Fujifilm Corporation (n.d.-a) FUJIFILM X-Pro2 Owner’s Manual. www.manualsdir.com/manuals/849423/fujifilm-x-pro2.html (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Fujifilm Corporation (n.d.-b) Film Simulation. FUJIFILM X Series. fujifilm-x.com/ro-ro/?p=10589 (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Hasselblad (n.d.) Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution. www.hasselblad.com/learn/hasselblad-natural-colour-solution/ (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- International Color Consortium (n.d.) Adobe RGB (1998). ICC RGB Registry. registry.color.org/rgb-registry/adobergb (Accessed 31 October 2026). Cited as ICC, n.d.
- ITU-R (2015) Recommendation ITU-R BT.709-6: Parameter values for the HDTV standards for production and international programme exchange. Geneva: International Telecommunication Union.
- ISO (2013) ISO 22028-2:2013 Photography and graphic technology: Extended colour encodings for digital image storage, manipulation and interchange. Part 2: Reference output medium metric RGB colour image encoding (ROMM RGB). Geneva: International Organization for Standardization.
- Nikon Corporation (n.d.) Color Space. Z 7II Reference Manual. www.manualslib.com/manual/2868276/Nikon-Z-7ii.html (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Panasonic Corporation (n.d.) Photo Style: Color. LUMIX. panasonic.com/global/consumer/lumix/lumix-color/photo-style-color.html (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- RED Digital Cinema (n.d.) IPP2 Overview. RED Support. support.red.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004913827-IPP2-Overview (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Sony Corporation (n.d.-a) Color Space. Help Guide, Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera. helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2380/v1/en/contents/0414_color_space.html (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Sony Corporation (n.d.-b) Creative Look (still image/movie). Help Guide, Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera. helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2430/v1/en/contents/0411B_creative_look.html (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- Sony Corporation (n.d.-c) What is Picture Profile? Help Guide. helpguide.sony.net/di/pp/v1/en/contents/TP0000909106.html (Accessed 31 October 2026).
- World Wide Web Consortium (n.d.) A Standard Default Color Space for the Internet: sRGB. www.w3.org/Graphics/Color/sRGB.html (Accessed 31 October 2026).
How to cite this guide. Alex, A., & Joseph, A. (2026). Colour spaces: A guide for photographers and cinematographers. Creative Hut Academy. https://creativehut.org/library/colour-spaces/
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