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Color Spaces Guide
Understanding color spaces, gamuts, and color management
Color Gamut Comparison
sRGB covers ~35% of visible spectrum - standard for web
HDR Brightness Range
100 nits
SDR (100 nits)HDR (1000+ nits)
Standard
sRGB
Standard RGB
Standard for web, monitors, digital displays
8-bit
Gamut~35% of visible spectrum
White PointD65 (6500K)
Gamma2.2
Best ForWeb, social media, standard displays
Rec.709
BT.709 / HD Television
Standard for HD television and broadcast
8-10 bit
GamutSimilar to sRGB (~35%)
White PointD65 (6500K)
Gamma2.4 (BT.1886)
Best ForHD TV, YouTube, streaming
Adobe RGB
Adobe RGB (1998)
Wider gamut for print and photography
8-16 bit
Gamut~50% of visible spectrum
White PointD65 (6500K)
Gamma2.2
Best ForPhotography, print, color-critical
HDR
Rec.2020
BT.2020 / Ultra HD Television
Standard for 4K/8K UHD and HDR content
10-12 bit
Gamut~75% of visible spectrum
White PointD65 (6500K)
GammaPQ or HLG
Best For4K/8K TV, HDR streaming
HDR10
HDR10 (ST 2084)
Open HDR standard with static metadata
10-bit
GamutRec.2020 container
White PointD65 (6500K)
GammaPQ (Perceptual Quantizer)
Best ForHDR streaming, 4K Blu-ray
Dolby Vision
Dolby Vision (Proprietary)
Premium HDR with dynamic metadata
12-bit
GamutRec.2020 container
White PointD65 (6500K)
GammaPQ with dynamic mapping
Best ForPremium streaming, cinema
Cinema
DCI-P3
Digital Cinema Initiative - P3
Digital cinema projection standard
12-16 bit
Gamut~45% of visible spectrum
White PointDCI White (~6300K)
Gamma2.6
Best ForCinema, Apple displays, film
ACES
Academy Color Encoding System
Color management for film production
16-bit float
GamutAll visible colors
White PointD60 (6000K)
GammaLinear
Best ForHollywood, VFX, color pipeline
CMYK
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key
Subtractive color model for print
8-bit/channel
GamutNarrow (subtractive)
White PointPaper white
GammaN/A
Best ForPrinting, magazines, physical
ProPhoto RGB
ProPhoto RGB / ROMM RGB
Very wide gamut for print and archival
16-bit
Gamut~90% of visible spectrum
White PointD50 (5000K)
Gamma1.8
Best ForProfessional photography, print
🎬 Working Spaces
- Edit in: Rec.709 for HD, Rec.2020 for 4K/HDR
- Grade in: Log or ACES for maximum flexibility
- Deliver in: Match target platform requirements
📺 Delivery Guidelines
- YouTube: Rec.709 (SDR) or Rec.2020 + HDR10
- Broadcast: Rec.709 (HD) or Rec.2020 + HLG
- Cinema: DCI-P3 at 2.6 gamma, 48 nits