---
title: "ICC profile (colour profile): meaning and marketplace rules | Herofab"
description: "A small block of data inside an image file that names its colour space, so that software knows which real colours the numbers in the file stand for."
url: https://herofab.app/glossary/icc-profile
language: en
updated: 2026-11-06
---

# ICC profile

A small block of data inside an image file that names its colour space, so that software knows which real colours the numbers in the file stand for.

Also called **colour profile** · **color profile** · **embedded profile**

With Herofab [Colour variants](https://herofab.app/tools/color-variants)

![Model in a linen T-shirt wearing a fine gold chain bracelet, her hand on her chest, in warm window light](https://herofab.app/img/ex/chain-bracelet-model-1100.webp)

Made with Herofab · Virtual try-on

Export dialogs show it as an option to embed the colour profile, and web export presets sometimes leave that option off to save a little weight. A file without a profile is read as sRGB by most software. That is harmless when the file really is sRGB and wrong when it is not, which is why converting to sRGB and embedding the profile together is the dependable setting.

Image editors offer two different commands, and mixing them up is the usual mistake. Converting to a profile changes the numbers so that the colours stay the same. Assigning a profile keeps the numbers and changes what they mean, so the colours shift. Deleting the profile from a file that is not sRGB has the same effect as assigning sRGB: the product changes colour without anyone touching it.

Channels treat profiles differently. Some read them, some convert every upload to sRGB, and some strip them or do not support custom ones. The only state that survives all of these is a file whose pixels are already in sRGB. A profile named after a printer, a paper or a monitor model is a sign that the file came from a print workflow or was tagged by mistake, and it is converted, not deleted.

## ICC profile, answered.

**How do I see which colour profile a photo has?**

Look in the document or file information of an image editor, or in the info panel of a system photo viewer, where the embedded profile is listed by name. A metadata viewer shows it too. When no profile is named, the file is untagged and most software treats it as sRGB, which is only right if it was saved in sRGB.

**Do I need to calibrate my monitor to edit product photo colours?**

For colour-critical work, yes. A calibration device measures the screen and writes a display profile, which colour-managed software uses to show the file's colours accurately. Uncalibrated screens are often too bright and too blue, which leads to photos that are corrected too dark and too warm. Comparing the screen with the real item in daylight remains the final check.

## What marketplaces say about it.

Updated 25 September 2026

- **BigCommerce:** Colour profiles are stripped from product images on upload, so saving images without a colour profile is advised [Official page](https://support.bigcommerce.com/s/article/Adding-Products-v3)
- **Pinterest:** Custom colour profiles are not supported and may result in slightly different colours on published Pins and ads [Official page](https://help.pinterest.com/en/business/article/before-you-get-started-with-catalogs)
- **Allegro:** JPG, JPEG or PNG (WEBP also through the API or a file); any proportions, such as 1:1, 4:3 or 16:9; only the sRGB profile for full colour fidelity [Official page](https://help.allegro.com/en/sell/a/rules-for-images-in-the-gallery-and-in-descriptions-8dvWB8Y2PIq)

Related

[Colour variants](https://herofab.app/tools/color-variants) · [Product studio](https://herofab.app/tools/product-photography) · [sRGB colour space](https://herofab.app/glossary/srgb) · [All terms](https://herofab.app/glossary/)

Free tools

[Product photo checker](https://herofab.app/tools/product-photo-checker) [Marketplace image resizer](https://herofab.app/tools/marketplace-image-resizer) [Image compressor](https://herofab.app/tools/image-compressor) [AI image label checker](https://herofab.app/tools/ai-image-checker)