Change a document's color profile

Last updated on Oct 6, 2026

Assign, remove, or convert color profiles to prepare documents for different output destinations or correct color management issues.

Change a document's color profile when preparing for a different output destination or correcting a color management policy you no longer want in the document. Photoshop automatically assigns color profiles based on your Color Settings, so manual changes are rarely needed and recommended for advanced users only. You can assign a new profile (color numbers stay the same, but appearance may change), remove the profile (document becomes unmanaged), or convert colors to a different profile's color space (color numbers shift to preserve appearance).

Color profiles define how color values in your document translate to actual visual colors. Understanding when to assign versus convert helps preserve your creative intent across different devices and workflows.

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Understanding of your intended output destination (web, print, video)
Knowledge of target color space requirements

Assign or remove a color profile

Use this method when you need to reinterpret color values without changing the actual numbers in your document.

Select Edit > Assign Profile.

Select one of the following options: Don't Color Manage This Document removes the existing profile; Working [color model] assigns your working space profile; or Profile lets you choose a specific profile from the menu.

Select OK.

Note

Assigning a different profile doesn't convert color values, it only changes how Photoshop interprets them. This may dramatically alter how colors appear on your monitor.

Convert colors to another color profile

Use this method when you need to transform color values to match a new color space while preserving visual appearance.

Select Edit > Convert to Profile.

Under Destination Space, select the target color profile from the Profile menu.

Under Conversion Options, select your color management Engine (Adobe ACE is recommended), choose a Rendering Intent appropriate for your content, and select Use Black Point Compensation and Use Dither as needed.

Select Preview to view the conversion effects in real time.

Select Flatten Image if you want to merge all layers during conversion.

Select OK.

The conversion process shifts color numbers to maintain visual appearance in the new color space. Your document is now tagged with the destination profile.

Convert to specialized color profiles

Advanced color workflows may require Multichannel, Device Link, or Abstract profiles for specialized printing or effects.

Select Edit > Convert to Profile.

Select Advanced.

Under Destination Space, select from additional profile types: Multichannel for printing with more than four inks, Device Link for direct device-to-device transforms without intermediate color spaces, or Abstract for custom image effects using LAB/XYZ transformations.

Configure Conversion Options as needed for your workflow.

Select Preview to evaluate the conversion, then select OK.

Tip

Gray, RGB, LAB, and CMYK profiles are grouped by category in Advanced view but combined in the Profile menu when using Basic view.

Embed a color profile when saving

After changing your document's color profile, save it in a format that supports embedded ICC profiles to preserve color management settings.

Select File > Save As.

Select a file format that supports profile embedding: PSD, TIFF, JPEG, PDF, PSB, Photoshop EPS, or Large Document Format.

Select the Embed Color Profile option (the exact name varies by format).

Complete your save settings and select Save.

Your document now contains an embedded color profile that other applications and devices can use to display colors accurately.

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