In a Nutshell: a quick summary of how to get it right¶
Here’s the to-do list for perfect color management without errors!
File formats¶
Intermediate, render, master and backup exports¶
Use openEXR for all non-final exports!
- It’s a lossless format,
- it can store any color information from any color space,
- it offers very efficient compression formats (including some lossy ones to further reduce size).
Color depth in EXR:
- Choose 16 bpc (float) if the following pipeline steps use the same gamma*.
- Choose 32 bpc in other cases.
The other depth options are only useful in case of resource constraints…
Compression of the EXR :
Read our guide on EXR compressions here!
Final export and delivery¶
Refer to the standard spaces according to the delivered format (if the customer doesn’t specify a color space).
Importing into applications¶
It’s always important to know in which space the imported file was made/exported. If you follow these recommendations, the file is always an openEXR file, and most often interpreted by applications as Linear RGB by default.
It may be useful to include the name of the color space used directly in the file name.
Refer to the standard spaces for other formats if you don’t know their color spaces.
Display¶
In the vast majority of cases, display should be in sRGB without any other simulation or conversion. Only in the case where a screen uses another display space can another parameter be set.
Workspaces¶
The spaces provided by ACES are extremely practical, and easy to set up using OCIO. If OCIO isn’t available on the application, the ACES workspaces may still be available natively; as a last resort another wide workspace specific to the application should be chosen.
Drawing, textures, …¶
- Either the space of the 3D renderer or the compositing and animation application if possible.
- Otherwise, a simpler Linear RGB will do.
Export in 16 bpc openEXR. When importing into other applications, be sure to specify the space used when making the image.
3D rendering¶
- On Blender : Filmic or ACEScg via an OCIO configuration
- In general: ACEScg
Or any other space with a very wide and linear gamut*.
Export to openEXR, using 16 bpc if compositing is done in a linear space.
Compositing¶
In 3D, try as much as possible to use the color space of the 3D rendering.
In 2D, prefer a wide gamut* and linear space, ACEScg works very well. If not possible, one can stay in Linear RGB.
Export in 16 bpc openEXR if compositing isn’t followed by a color correction step in a non-linear space, 32 bpc in other cases.
Color correction¶
One can follow the same reasoning as for compositing, although it may be more convenient to work in a non-linear space. In this case ACEScc is perfect.
Export to 16 bpc openEXR for archiving, and to the file standard space for delivery.