Color Management | Assigning a Color Profile

Assign Profile allows you to tag an image with a specified profile or untag an image by removing it. No color numeric conversions are made; it simply applies an interpretation to the numbers in the image.

Photoshop - Assign Profile. Adobe RGB

Edit menu > Assign Profile. 

Toggle on the Preview option. You will most likely see the colors shift on screen. 

In the Assign Profile dialog box you will see three options:

Don’t Color Manage This Document
Removes the existing profile from the document. After you remove the profile from a document, the appearance of colors is defined by the application’s working space profiles.

Working [color model: working space]
Assigns the working space profile to the document. 

Profile
Selecting this option allows you to toggle between different color profiles. Adobe assigns the new profile to the document without actually converting colors to the profile space. This may dramatically change the appearance of the colors as displayed on your monitor.

Examples of Different Profiles

Notice in the examples below – how the colors appear richer or duller depending on which profile you are assigning the image.

Example of sRGB
sRGB

sRGB is a color space that defines a range of colors that can be displayed on-screen and in print. It is the most widely used color space and is supported by most operating systems, software programs, monitors, and printers

Example of Adobe RGB
Adobe RGB (1998)

The Adobe RGB color space is a color space developed by Adobe in 1998. It was designed to encompass most of the colors achievable on CMYK color printers, but by using RGB primary colors on a device such as a computer display

Example of ProPhoto RGB
ProPhoto RGB

The ProPhoto RGB color space is an output referred RGB color space developed by Kodak. It offers an especially large gamut designed for use with photographic output in mind. Most printers cannot achieve some colors of this gamut and may not print as bright.

Example of CMYK
CMYK

The CMYK color model is a subtractive color model, based on the CMY color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four ink plates used in some color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key

For More Information

LinkedIn Learning: Understanding Color Management
Adobe: Keeping Colors Consistent