Work with OpenColorIO color management

Last updated on Sep 30, 2026

Set up OCIO color management to maintain consistent color transforms across professional workflows.

OpenColorIO (OCIO) provides native color management for professional production workflows requiring consistent color transforms across multiple applications and artists within a project. OCIO enables interoperability with professional color pipelines and provides built-in support for the ACES color management system.

This feature supports film, television, and other industries that require precise color management across multiple applications and display systems. Once enabled, OCIO replaces standard ICC color management for new OCIO documents and existing documents you open as OCIO.

Enable OCIO features

Select Edit > OpenColorIO Settings.

Select the Enable OpenColorIO Features checkbox.

Choose a default Configuration from the menu. OCIO configuration files are stored in multiple locations: the OCIO environment variable, built-in ACES configurations, and the Presets folder.

Configuration storage locations:

  • macOS: /Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2024/Presets/OCIO/Configurations
  • Windows: C:\Users\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2024\Presets

Select a Working Space for new OCIO documents.

Select OK.

OCIO menu options become available under Edit and File for working with OCIO documents. Access document and display settings through Window > OpenColorIO. These configurations appear in the Configuration menu in both the Settings dialog and the main panel.

Next steps

After enabling OCIO features, you can:

Create new OCIO documents using File > New OpenColorIO

Convert existing images using File > Open as OpenColorIO.

Adjust input color spaces for Smart Objects in the Properties panel.

Create ICC versions of OCIO documents using Edit > Duplicate to Profile.

For information about working with 32-bit HDR images in OCIO workflows, see OpenColorIO and tools with 32-bit mode.

For detailed information about standard color profile workflows, see Color settings.