Using color management policies

When you specify a predefined color management setting, Photoshop sets up a color management workflow that will be used as the standard for all documents and color data that you open or import. For a newly created document, the color workflow usually operates seamlessly: unless specified otherwise, the document uses the working space profile associated with its color mode for creating and editing colors.

However, it is common to encounter the following exceptions to your color-managed workflow:

• You might open a document or import color data (for example, by copying and pasting or dragging and dropping) from a document that is not tagged with a profile. This is often the case when you open a document created in an application that either does not support color management or has color management turned off.
• You might open a document or import color data from a document that is tagged with a profile different from the current working space. This may be the case when you open a document that has been created using different color management settings, or a document that has been scanned and tagged with a scanner profile.

In either case, Photoshop must decide how to handle the color data in the document. A color management policy looks for the color profile associated with an opened document or imported color data, and compares the profile (or lack of profile) with the current working space to make default color management decisions. If the profile is missing or does not match the working space, Photoshop displays a message that indicates the default action for the policy (if the alert option is selected in the color settings). In many cases you will also be provided with the opportunity to choose another action. For detailed information on the color management decisions associated with different policies, see Specifying color management policies.