A new Windows Insider build reveals that Microsoft is working to expand color management support in Windows for creative applications that run afoul of HDR.
“HDR mode changes the behavior of some creative and artistic apps that use International Color Consortium (ICC) display color profiles, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom Classic, and CorelDraw (amongst others),” Microsoft notes in a blog post. “In the past, these apps were limited to targeting the sRGB color gamut.”
The change is available in Windows 10 Insider Preview build 21382, which was released last night to testers in the Dev channel. As you may know, the Dev channel no longer targets a specific Windows version, so it’s unclear when this will appear in Windows, and whether this change will target multiple versions of Windows 10.
According to Microsoft, users will be able to override which color management technology individual apps use. Unfortunately, it’s doing so via a fairly old-fashioned and non-discoverable compatibility interface. To find it, you need to locate the .exe file for the application—itself an often tedious task—right-click it, choose Properties, and then navigate to the Compatibility tab. There, under Settings, you’ll find a new option, “Use legacy display ICC color management.”