The color and tonal information in a digital document is stored as numbers. When we share these documents between devices, the device has to work out how to display the color. As not all devices can display the same color gamut it can lead to colors looking different on each device.
Documents without color profiles (or with unsupported color profiles) may not look the same across each device.
To ensure that the color looks the same on each device, we use color profiles to tell the device how to display or render the color information.
Documents with the correct profile for a calibrated device should closely match.
In Affinity apps, an opened file's color profile is honored by default. You have the option to convert it to the current working color space. When placing images into an existing document, the image's embedded color profile will always be converted to the document's current working space.
On export, you can choose to embed the document's or a named color profile to ensure accurate color management. Alternatively, the exported file can be unprofiled by not embedding the document or named profile.
Assigning color profiles
Affinity apps let you choose global default color profiles, assign a color profile as you create a document, or at any point during your session.
To select default global color profiles:
From the Home screen, select Settings.
Select the Color tab, then select an RGB, RGB32 (HDR), Grayscale, CMYK, or Lab color profile from the pop-up menus.
Choose a Rendering intent option and enable Black Point compensation.
To select a new document's color profile:
As you create a new document, select a color profile from the last option in the Color section.
To convert the color space of file to be opened to the current working space:
Prior to opening the file, select Settings.
Select the Color tab, then enable the Convert opened files to working space option. Enable and warn if you want to be notified on document opening.
To change your document's color profile at any time:
From the Document menu, select Document Setup.
(Optional) Depending on where you wish to apply color conversion, select either Whole Document, Selected Masters or Selected Spreads from the context toolbar.
Choose an alternative Color format in the Color section of the dialog.
To embed a color profile on file export:
From the Document menu, select Export.
In the Export dialog, choose your file format and settings for export.
(Optional) Select a different ICC Profile from the pop-up menu. Otherwise, the document's color profile will be embedded.
Enable Embed ICC Profile.
About soft proofing
Soft proofing simulates output as you edit and design with respect to the color profile and the paper medium you intend to print on.
In Affinity Publisher, this can be done by applying a Soft Proof adjustment to your project. You can then preview how your output will appear, preventing any nasty surprises at print time.
Because soft proofing is applied as an adjustment you can apply multiple adjustments, and therefore produce soft proofs for multiple output devices.
As an example, if you want to create several different output types, you might want to start with a color profile on document creation with a wide gamut (e.g., Adobe RGB 1998), and then change the profile to match the output destination. However, color information may be thrown away if changing to a smaller color gamut—simply changing back to a profile with a wider gamut will not restore the additional color information. By applying a soft proof adjustment you prevent this, allowing you to work in a wider gamut until you are ready to change to your chosen output profile.
To select default global color profiles:
To change your document's color profile at any time: