ImageGear allows you to set and get the actual value of a color profile in every group. In spite of the fact that operations with color profiles from different groups are very similar, at a low level there are some differences in how profiles from different groups are processed.

ImageGear allocates 3 color profile groups:

• ICP (Import Color Profile): This group of profiles is used during a filter load operation. In some cases a raster image file contains device-dependent color data such as RGB or CMYK but does not have a color profile associated with it. So this color data can be interpreted in a different manner depending on the color profile used. The ICP profile of appropriate color space should be used in this case. However, if a raster image contains a color profile, this one is used instead of the standard ICP profile.
• ECP (Export Color Profile): This group of profiles is very similar to ICP but is used in the filter export operation. If the raster image file to be exported does not allow you to store the color profile or if it needs to be stored in a specific color space, ECP allows you to provide the profile, and the output image will be converted to that color space.
• WCP (Working Color Profile): This group of color profiles provides information about the default color global parameters used to represent the color data for HIGEAR objects. Those global parameters are used if the image does not have a local color profile associated with it.

When color processing is performed on an image, either a local or global color profile is used. When an image is exported or imported, its pixel data, converted from one color space to another, is described by the WCP associated with the image and corresponding profile from the ECP or ICP group.