AfterEffects

Color management and color profiles

Color information is communicated using numbers. Because different devices use different methods to record and display color, the same numbers can be interpreted differently and appear to us as different colors. A color management system keeps track of all of these different ways of interpreting color and translates between them so that images can look the same regardless of the device used to display them.

In general, a color profile is a description of a device-specific color space in terms of the transformations required to convert its color information to a device-independent color space.

In the specific case of working within After Effects, ICC color profiles are used to convert to and from the working color space in the following general workflow:

  1. An input color profile is used to convert each footage item from its color space into the working color space. A footage item may contain an embedded input color profile, or you can assign the input color profile in the Interpret Footage dialog box or interpretation rules file.

  2. After Effects performs all of its color operations in the working color space. You assign a working color space in the Project Settings dialog box.

  3. Colors are converted from the working color space to the color space of your computer monitor through the monitor profile. This means that your composition will look identical on two different monitors, as long as the monitors have been properly profiled. This conversion does not change the data within the composition. You can choose whether to convert colors for your monitor using the View > Use Display Color Management menu command.

  4. Optionally, After Effects uses a simulation profile to show you on your computer monitor how the composition will look in its final output form on a different device. You control output simulation for each view through the View > Simulate Output menu.

  5. An output color profile for each output module is used to convert the rendered composition from the working color space to the color space of the output medium. You choose an output color profile in the Output Module Settings dialog box.

The file format for color profiles is standardized by the ICC (International Color Consortium), and the files that contain them usually end with the .icc filename extension. After Effects comes with a large number of color profiles for color spaces for common (and some not so common) input and output types.

For information on color profiles, see the International Color Consortium website at www.color.org.

After Effects loads color profiles from multiple locations, including the following:

  • Mac OS: Library/ColorSync/Profiles

  • Windows: WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\color

When you create or install new profiles, put them in these folders. You can create a custom ICC profile using Adobe Photoshop.

When you choose a profile—for input, output, or simulation—you will not see the motion-picture film profiles unless your footage is Cineon footage or you select Show All Available profiles. If your footage is Cineon footage, you will see only the motion-picture film profiles, unless you select Show All Available Profiles.
Note: The NTSC (1953) color profile corresponds to obsolete television equipment and should not be used. For standard-definition NTSC television, use one of the SDTV NTSC color profiles.
Make sure that your work environment provides a consistent light level and color temperature. For example, the color characteristics of sunlight change throughout the day, which can alter the way colors appear on your screen, so keep shades closed or work in a windowless room.