3D Plots of ICC profiles

Note: the screenshots were done from the old VRML 3D models. The new x3dom 3D models don't have labels on the graph. But is still the same data. %/#

A while back (after splurging on a NEC PA241W + Spectraview + i1DP) I got real interested in the sizes of the gamuts that correspond to color spaces. I used several of the command line utilities that come with Argyll to make 3D gamut plots of every ICC profile I could get my hands on. Including my wife's garden variety HP 7310 all-in-one (three ink colors + black.) I was surprised that it poked out of sRGB considerably. And even poked out of Adobe RGB a little bit.

HP 7310/sRGB/Adobe RGB, top view
HP 7310/sRGB/Adobe RGB, top view

HP 7310/sRGB/Adobe RGB, side view
HP 7310/sRGB/Adobe RGB, side view

The white wireframe is Adobe RGB (1998), the cyan wireframe is sRGB and the solid, colored one is the HP 7310 (Stock HP profile.) Here is a link to the 3D plot of the 7310's gamut (X3DOM), compared to sRGB and Adobe RGB. This is a 3D model, so drag your mouse to rotate it.

AdoramaPIX Glossy/sRGB/Adobe RGB, top view
AdoramaPIX Glossy/sRGB/Adobe RGB, top view

AdoramaPIX Glossy/sRGB/Adobe RGB, side view
AdoramaPIX Glossy/sRGB/Adobe RGB, side view

What is contained in sRGB are mini-lab printers. Here is the gamut of AdoramaPix's glossy prints vs. sRGB and Adobe RGB Note that it easily fits in sRGB.

US Sheetfed Coated/sRGB/Adobe RGB, top view
US Sheetfed Coated/sRGB/Adobe RGB, top view

US Sheetfed Coated/sRGB/Adobe RGB, side view
US Sheetfed Coated/sRGB/Adobe RGB, side view

What does require a large gamut is commercial CYMK printing. Here is the Adobe standard US Sheetfed Coated profile against sRGB and Adobe RGB (x3dom). If you rotate this around you'll see why people recommend that you use Adobe RGB if you are preparing images for print.

T60 Thinkpad/sRGB/Adobe RGB, top view
T60 Thinkpad/sRGB/Adobe RGB, top view

UT60 Thinkpad/sRGB/Adobe RGB, side view
UT60 Thinkpad/sRGB/Adobe RGB, side view

You can probably see why I don't do much image editing on my Lenovo T60 Thinkpad (x3dom)

Here is my complete collection of gamut plots. There is enough information there so you can figure out what is being plotted.

If you want to make your own 3D gamut plots, follow my instructuons here. Dry Creek Photo has a good selection of 3-D plots (in VRML) of color gamuts, mostly of different printers that they have profiled.

Questions? Write to 3dplotsintro@frogymandias.org