GIMP Version: 2.8.10
Operating System: Mac OS
OS Version: 10.9.3
GIMP Experience: Basic Level

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Warning I'm going to use words I think I understand but am taking wild stabs at, feel free to correct me at any time.

I want to target my creations to a color profile/space called sRGB IEC61966-2.1 / u.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2. However, all I know is I can change my monitor to this but Gimp just has sRGB. My question is this, will Gimp handle it? Am I asking for trouble? Where do I find it? I've been searching for awhile now, I did find this site: http://www.color.org/srgbprofiles.xalter#v4pref unfortunately I'm lost in the jargon.

And what might this mean:

" All color management Profiles set to Preserve Embedded. And Engine to Adobe (ACE) "

The above was a response how to set up photoshop to match the color profile/space of the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 As for the u.S. Web Coated (Swop) v2.... I don't care to do any printing so I don't care so much about that part of the spec.

In the meantime, I read that sRGB was 8 bit. I remember Partha saying the newer Gimp will have 16bit color so I downloaded and installed his 2.9 experimental for Mac OS.

Well, I'm stumped. I went into Preferences and saw that I had "None" selected for RGB profile. Close preferences, opened a file closed it. Basic fiddling around, then for some reason I open prefs again and lo and behold I see the magical numbers "sRGB IEC61966-2.1" listed in my RGB profile. Where is this coming from? The system? The Monitor? My socks drawer?

Is that version 16 bit? The standard Gimp is 8 bit, and nothing to do with a colour profile.

This is in linux, and because I like to be in control, all my colour profiles are in one location. Your installation will be different.



If you go into your gimp profile, wherever that is in OSX, open the file ~/.gimp-2.8/profilerc

Then in there, it will indicate the location of "sRGB IEC61966-2.1..." an icc file which here is plain old "sRGB.icc"

If you are not planning on using a commercial printer who requires CMYK images then forget about U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 and any other CMYK profiles.

Some random thoughts. When you open an image in Gimp and you get the option to keep it ICC or convert, keep it. In that case the ICC is normally can be saved for later use.
To Assign or Convert Colour Profiles, Image | Mode menu.

Worth a read if you haven't already.
Color Management with GIMP
Display Filters
Nine Degrees Below (an excellent web site with tons of info on ICC and related topics)

I have the Separate + plugin and I believe I got the info about Gimp keeping the ICC from the Nine Degrees Below web site (I know she uses Gimp). Before I mentioned in the post about saving ICC profiles that way I had a quick look at the web site but didn't find the specific reference. There is so much information there, I'll give it another look to see if I can find the related article.

I miss read the article, Will the Real sRGB Profile Please Stand Up?
I've changed the quote to, 'can be saved for later use'.

Just for fun have a look at, SwatchBooker Editor.

Sorry I have a limited vocabulary and knowledge of colors and Gimp and color theory. Ya, the RGB is 8 bit but color depth(?) is changing.

Here's something that explains it better than me. I see numbers like 16/32/64 on the Parta's build, along with integer and gamma whatever those mean.

https://plus.google.com/+gimp/posts/hY3orKUQAGg

I was in Color Management and saw the option for sRGB but had noooo idea it was sRGB IEC61966-2.1.

Thank you much!

Thanks much on the heads up on saving the ICC. Truly when I see that message, I convert the hell out of it because that looks like the thing to do.

Thank you also for the links, I need a course in color theory for computers.

Off to go try and calibrate my monitor.

Many thanks for the link Odinbc!
My,very interesting reading.
If I'm not mistaken Elle Stone is (or was) part of the Gimp team.
Gerard.

You might be right, I think I've seen that somewhere. I frequent her web site; she's very knowledgeable about graphics software and very thorough at communicating the information.