Color Gamut Converter
Convert sRGB, DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB coverage so you read specs honestly.
Local & private by design
| Color space | Approx. coverage |
|---|---|
| sRGB | ~95% |
| DCI-P3 | ~95% |
| Adobe RGB | ~88% |
Conversions are approximate (area-ratio + overlap model). Real coverage depends on the panel's actual primaries — always cross-check a review with measured CIE data for pro work.
The 100% gamut that didn't mean what you thought
"My monitor says 100% color gamut — which one?" Vendors quote whichever number looks best: 100% sRGB sounds impressive until you learn sRGB is the smallest common gamut; 100% DCI-P3 sounds cinematic but covers different colors than Adobe RGB. Worse, marketing sometimes conflates them, leaving buyers unable to compare panels.
The Color Gamut Converter translates between sRGB, DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB coverage. See real-world coverage, expose misleading numbers, and pick the panel that fits your work. Runs locally, no signup.
How the tool works
The converter uses the CIE 1931 color space to compute area-based coverage between gamuts:
- sRGB — the web standard. Smallest common gamut. Most monitors cover 100% sRGB easily.
- DCI-P3 — wider, used in cinema and modern HDR. 100% DCI-P3 covers ~133% of sRGB area.
- Adobe RGB — wider in cyans/greens, used in print photography. 100% Adobe RGB covers ~126% of sRGB area but covers different colors than DCI-P3.
The converter takes any coverage number in one gamut and computes the equivalent in another, so you can compare panels on a single scale. It also flags the common marketing trick of quoting DCI-P3 to imply sRGB coverage (a 95% DCI-P3 panel covers ~126% of sRGB area — more than 100%, which is meaningless without context).
Step-by-step usage
- Enter your monitor's quoted gamut coverage (e.g., 95% DCI-P3) and the gamut it was quoted in.
- Pick the target gamut you want to convert to (sRGB, DCI-P3, or Adobe RGB).
- Read the equivalent coverage. A 95% DCI-P3 panel covers ~126% of sRGB area, so it more than covers sRGB.
- Check for sRGB clamp. If the panel is wide-gamut without a clamp, colors look oversaturated in sRGB content.
- Cross-reference with HDR plans using the HDR Brightness Tier Checker — wide gamut alone does not deliver real HDR.
Common hardware problems this tool solves
- "My colors look oversaturated" — a wide-gamut monitor displaying sRGB content without clamping stretches colors beyond intended saturation. Enable an sRGB clamp mode.
- "Is 100% DCI-P3 the same as 100% sRGB?" — no. DCI-P3 is wider. 100% DCI-P3 covers ~133% of sRGB area. Marketing sometimes conflates the two.
- "Do I need Adobe RGB?" — only for print photography and pro design. For web, gaming and video, sRGB and DCI-P3 are what matter.
- "Why does HDR need wide gamut?" — HDR uses DCI-P3+ colors plus high peak brightness. A wide-gamut SDR panel still cannot show real HDR without the brightness.
For deeper monitor context, browse the monitor fix hub.
Pro tips for monitor buyers
- For web and gaming, sRGB and DCI-P3 are what matter. Adobe RGB is for print. Do not pay for Adobe RGB coverage you will not use.
- Wide gamut without a clamp causes oversaturation. Look for an sRGB clamp mode in the OSD. Without it, web content looks neon.
- HDR needs both wide gamut and high brightness. A wide-gamut panel with 350 nits is still SDR. Real HDR needs 600+ nits and local dimming — see the HDR Brightness Tier Checker.
- Compare panels on the same gamut. A 95% DCI-P3 panel and a 99% sRGB panel are not directly comparable. Convert one to the other first.
- Color accuracy is more than gamut. Delta-E, white balance and grayscale tracking matter for pro work. Gamut coverage is just the starting point.
Color gamut is geometry, not a single number. The converter exists so you compare panels on the same scale, not the marketing's favorite one.