ICM vs ICC Profiles - The Difference

ICC profiles (.icc) and ICM profiles (.icm) are interchangeable files (you can switch the extension
back and forth). ICC stands for International Color Consortium, the organization that sets the
standard for the files. We attempt to create a quick comparison between ICC profiles and ICM profiles.


ICC profiles are designed for Macs, and ICM are designed for Windows. The confusing part is,
Photoshop does not care if it is an ICC file or a ICM file and it sees it the same way. Photoshop on a PC will read and use ICC profiles if they are in the correct folder in Windows. Other applications on the PC may not be able to use ICC profiles, so it should be changed to ICM if possible.

Be sure to restart Photoshop after installing new profiles.


The correct location for ICC or ICM profiles are:

Mac OS X
/Users/username/Library/ColorSync/Profiles

Windows XP
\Windows\system32\spool\drivers\color


Additional Resources:

• http://www.devarticles.com/c/a/Photoshop/The-Critically-Important-Color-and-Gamma-Calibration-Article/2/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_profile