Re: [Gimp-developer] New Image/Color Management option

[Michael Natterer <mitch gimp org>]

On Thu, 2016-05-12 at 08:46 -0400, Elle Stone wrote:
> There is a new "Image/Color Management" option to "Enable Color 
> Management". The option is checked by default. For sRGB images,
> checking 
> or unchecking the option doesn't seem to make any difference.

Exactly, even without a profile, pixels have some meaning. And
in GIMP, the "default" meaning is sRGB.

> What is the purpose of this new option? It doesn't do the same thing
> as 
> going to Preferences and selecting "Color Management/Mode of 
> operation/No color management".

The prefs option is for display color management, and will soon
only be a default for a per-display switch.

The option in Image -> New allows to disable color management
and whatever color management transforms on a per-image base.

This is mainly because almost nobody understands what this
whole color stuff is about at all. All (sic!) graphics artists
I know and have asked switch off color management entirely
in Photoshop because it's this confusing thing that changes
colors in an unpredictable way  (which is not surprising
given the cluelessness).

Most people dealing with photos do know their colors however
and have it on, and have the right profiles.

The sane choice way to let users disable it, rather than
forcing it upon them.

Regards,
--Mitch