Where Does DisplayCAL Store Color Profiles?
DisplayCAL writes ICC profiles to the system color folders per OS and keeps its own settings and logs beside them. Reinstalls keep profiles.
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DisplayCAL separates calibration products from its own state. Finished ICC profiles install into the OS color folders where every color-managed app reads them. Settings, instrument configs, and logs live in the app data tree nearby.
That split makes migration simple and misuse easy. Copying a profile to a different panel model produces confident wrong colors, so label profiles by screen and date. System updates occasionally reset the default profile assignment; recheck it after major upgrades when colors look suddenly off.
Where DisplayCAL stores this, by platform
C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color\
System ICC store plus DisplayCAL settings in Roaming. Reassign defaults in display settings after moves or major updates. Label profiles per panel.
~/Library/ColorSync/Profiles/
User and system ColorSync folders hold profiles. Reach Library with Go to Folder in Finder. Settings live in Application Support beside them.
~/.local/share/color/icc/
User ICC store with system defaults under /usr/share/color/icc. Colord picks them up for managed apps. Keep measurement data for faster re-profiles.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move display profiles to a new PC?
Copy the ICC files to the matching color folder on the new machine, then set them as default in system display settings. Recalibrate when the panel differs; profiles describe one specific screen, not a model line.
Do profiles survive reinstalling DisplayCAL?
Yes for the profile files. DisplayCAL settings and calibration logs stay local, so reinstalling the app loses nothing calibrated. Keep the measurement data too when offered, since it speeds up re-profiling the same panel.
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