Embed ICC profile?

[Mainer82]

For some reason I have been checking the Embed ICC Profile option in Canon DPP software when I convert my RAW to JPG. I've noticed that this is causing problems on certain computers and am wondering if in general this is a bad idea?

 

[KmH]

It depends which ICC profile you are embedding.

Not all web browsers are color aware, but the color space used on the web is sRGB IEC 61966-2-1:1999.

 

[Garbz]

As above.

Images should always have the ICC profile embedded. It's a way of telling programs what kind of data is in the image. It shouldn't matter for the most part. Either a program understands the ICC profile and uses it to ensure the image is accurately displayed, or it doesn't and assumes the profile is sRGB.

From the sound of it you have a bad case of using a colour space which is not sRGB and mixing it with software that just simply doesn't understand it. This is bad on multiple levels:

1) If you send someone your file, how can you be sure they will see it correctly, or print it correctly?
2) If you upload it onto the net ... well most people won't see it correctly.
3) Larger colour spaces sound great in theory but in practice what do you get out of it? Do you have a large gamut monitor? Are you printing your images at the kind of labs which charge in the tens of dollars per picture rather than .30c / photo?
4) Larger colour spaces sound great in theory but the theory also states that for a larger than normal colour space you will need a larger bit-depth to be able to display each colour that is distinguishable by the eye in said colour space. That means no 8bit files, and ultimately NO JPEGs. So if you have a legitimate reason to be using a larger colour space save your files as TIF to maximise quality.

 

[KmH]

Some print labs don't want an ICC profile embedded in an image they will be printing.

 

[Garbz]

If the embedded profile is sRGB then it won't matter.

The real underlying reason is some print labs are not gear to accept anything other than sRGB. If you get a complaint about the file having an ICC profile, and you're set to sRGB then just tell them to print it anyway.

I used a company like this once. Never again. If I'm going to be printing a photochemical print I sure as hell will be doing it though a company which tries to maximise quality.