What Is Color Gamut?

Color gamut refers to the range of colors that a display device can reproduce. It's basically the spectrum of colors that can be displayed on a screen or printed by a printer. The concept of color gamut is important in industries where accurate color reproduction is critical, such as photography, film, gaming, and graphic design.

Different display technologies and standards have different color gamuts. Common color space standards include:

• sRGB: This is the standard color space for most consumer-grade displays and the internet. It represents a color gamut that is considered adequate for most consumer applications.
• Adobe RGB: This color space covers a broader spectrum of colors than sRGB, particularly in the cyan-green range. It is often used by professional photographers and designers who need to work with a wider range of colors.
• DCI-P3: Originally developed for digital cinema, this color space has a wider gamut than sRGB, particularly in the red and green areas. It's becoming more common in consumer devices like TVs, monitors, and smartphones.
• Rec. 2020: Also known as BT.2020, this is an even wider color gamut used in UHD television and in the cinema industry.

How To Check Color Gamut of Screen?

To check the color gamut of a screen, you can use several methods:

1. Manufacturer Specifications: The easiest way is to look up the color gamut coverage in the specifications provided by the manufacturer. They typically list what percentage of a particular color space (e.g., sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3) the monitor can display.
2. Calibration Devices: For a more hands-on approach, you can use a colorimeter or a spectrophotometer. These are devices that can read the colors a screen can output and compare them to reference colors. Calibration software will often give you a color gamut report after the calibration process.
3. Professional Services: There are services where you can send your monitor to have its color gamut and other display characteristics professionally measured.
4. Built-In Display Settings or Tools: Some monitors come with built-in tools or settings that display the color gamut coverage directly from the on-screen display (OSD) menu.
5. Online Reviews and Tests: Many tech websites and reviewers test the color gamut of monitors and TVs and publish the results. You can search for your model to see if it has been tested.

Please note that to get the most accurate representation of a monitor's color gamut, a professional calibration with a colorimeter or spectrophotometer is recommended. This is because the actual color gamut can vary from unit to unit due to manufacturing tolerances, and it can change over time as the monitor ages.