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Windows 🟢 Beginner

How to Add a Color Profile in Windows 11

Richard
Written by
Richard
Updated 4 min read
Close-up monitor showing display color profile settings
Close-up monitor showing display color profile settings
Before you start
  • 8 steps
  • Needs administrator rights
⚡ Quick Answer

Open Settings System Display Color profile, select your display, click Add profile, browse to your.icm.icc file, then click Set profile to make it the default for that monitor.

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Where to Find Color Profile Settings

The color profile controls live in the Settings app, under your display options. The steps below are for Windows 11. Menu layout changes a little between builds, so if a label looks slightly different on your PC, look for the closest match.

  1. Open Settings. Click the Start button, then click Settings. You can also press Windows key + I on your keyboard. The Settings window opens.
  2. Go to Display. Click System in the left-hand list, then click Display. You will see the brightness, scale and resolution options for your screens.
  3. Find Color profile. Scroll down in the Display settings until you see the Color profile option, then click it.
📝Good to KnowIf you can’t find Color profile, run Windows Update first. Older Windows 11 builds put color settings in a different place than newer ones.
Windows 11 display color profile selection for Auto Color Management.
Windows 11 display color profile selection for Auto Color Management.
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This opens the Color management settings for your screen. From here you can see which profiles are already linked to your monitor and add new ones.

Adding a New Color Profile

📝Good to KnowMaybe the profile came with your monitor, or you downloaded it from the manufacturer or another source you trust. Copy the file somewhere easy to find, such as your Downloads or Desktop folder, then follow these steps.
  1. Choose your display. At the top of the Color management page, find the Select your display box. If you have more than one monitor, pick the one the profile was made for. A profile built for one monitor can make a different model look wrong.
  2. Click Add profile. Click the Add profile button below the list of current profiles. A file browser window opens.
  3. Find your profile file. Browse to the profile you want. These files usually end in .icm or .icc. If you don’t see your file, check that the file type filter isn’t hiding it, and that you’ve unzipped the download first.
  4. Add the file. Select the file, then click Add or Open, depending on what your window shows. The profile now appears in the list for your display.
  5. Set it as the default. Adding a profile does not always make Windows use it. Select the profile you just added, then click the Set profile button below the list. The screen colors may shift right away.

Windows may ask for administrator permission for some of these changes. If you are on a work PC and the buttons don’t work, ask your IT admin.

Windows 11 display color profile selection for Auto Color Management.
Windows 11 display color profile selection for Auto Color Management.
Windows 11 display settings showing how to add a color profile.
Windows 11 display settings showing how to add a color profile.
Select a color profile for your Windows 11 display.
Select a color profile for your Windows 11 display.

Setting your new file as the default is what makes Windows actually use it for your display. Select the profile in the color management menu, then click Set profile right below the list to lock in the change.

If the colors look worse than before, you can undo it. Select your previous profile in the same list and click Set profile again. The old profile stays in the list, so nothing is lost.

Reference:

Summary

To add a color profile in Windows 11, go to System Display Color profile, pick your display, click Add profile, select your .icm or .icc file, and then click Set profile to make it the default. To go back, select your old profile and set it again.

Frequently asked questions

How to configure 🪟 Windows 11 color profiles?

To configure a color profile in Windows 11, open Settings, go to System, then Display, and scroll to Color profile. Select your screen, then choose the profile you want. For more control, open Color Management from the Start menu, where you can calibrate the display and link profiles to each monitor.

How to change color profile 🪟 Windows 11?

To change the color profile in Windows 11, open Color Management from the Start menu. On the Devices tab, select your display and pick a profile from the list. Check Use my settings for this device, then click Set as default profile and OK to save.

What is a color profile 🪟 Windows 11?

A color profile is a small file, usually with the .icc or .icm extension, that tells Windows how a screen or printer should show colors. A correct profile makes colors look closer to how they were designed or photographed, so reds, blues and skin tones look more accurate.

How to create a color profile 🪟 Windows 11?

To create a color profile in Windows 11, click Start, type Calibrate display color, and press Enter. Follow the wizard to adjust gamma, brightness, contrast and color balance. At the end, save the result, and Windows creates a new .icc profile you can select later.

How to add color profile in laptop?

To add a color profile on a laptop, open Color Management from the Start menu and click Add on the Devices tab. Browse to the .icc or .icm file, select it, and click OK. Then choose the new profile from the list and set it as the default for your built-in screen.

Where I can get color profile for my hp laptop?

You can get a color profile for your HP laptop from the HP Support website. Search for your exact model number, then look for a display or color profile file under drivers or downloads. If none is listed, use the standard sRGB profile that comes with Windows.

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Tags: #Windows 11

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Richard

About the Author

Richard

Tech Writer, IT Professional

Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.

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