Why is Windows not color managed?

Action_Johnson · March 2, 2021

I use both MacOS and Windows for work. Whenever I use my i1 for my 3 Macbooks, they're calibrated at the OS level, so EVERYTHING comes up color managed. Desktop, Preview, Photoshop, Capture One, everything.

On my 2 Windows towers, when I calibrate my monitor, the Desktop, some windows apps, some web browsers, aren't managed. It's so frustrating that I can't trust it half the time, it's almost as if Windows is the Federal Govt letting the States figure out how to manage a pandemic, it's totally unnecessary complication.

Is there a way to fix this, so Windows handles color management as eloquently as MacOS? I fucking hate Apple, but this is one of the main things that still ties me to it.

Mark Kaine · March 3, 2021

Windows generally isn't very good and Microsoft has zero incentives to change that (no competition)

that is why. also more news: water is wet.

Action_Johnson · March 3, 2021

Goddamnit.

Alan G · March 4, 2021

How are you profiling your monitor under Windows? I use NEC SpectraView software and it just works fine. I get a profile for the monitor that Windows loads easily enough. I've not seen any anomalies with programs at all. You can make sure the profile loads by looking at the color management section in settings. I have also used ArgyllCMS to do monitor profiling but it takes a long time to get the profile done depending on how many patches you want to read.

Action_Johnson · March 4, 2021

4 hours ago, Alan G said:

How are you profiling your monitor under Windows? I use NEC SpectraView software and it just works fine. I get a profile for the monitor that Windows loads easily enough. I've not seen any anomalies with programs at all. You can make sure the profile loads by looking at the color management section in settings. I have also used ArgyllCMS to do monitor profiling but it takes a long time to get the profile done depending on how many patches you want to read.

i1Profiler using an i1Display Pro.

It’s industry standard, and Windows color management doesn’t seem to apply to anything outside of color managed programs

Alan G · March 4, 2021

2 hours ago, Action_Johnson said:

i1Profiler using an i1Display Pro.

It’s industry standard, and Windows color management doesn’t seem to apply to anything outside of color managed programs

I don't understand your issue. I have a NEC Multisynch monitor and the profile is loaded by Windows and used by the monitor. There is no other monitor profile around. This is just SpectraView doing what it should be doing. I only worry about the colors when I'm working in Lightroom or Photoshop.