Glossary
Color gamut
The range of colors a display can reproduce, usually expressed as a percentage of coverage of a standard color space — sRGB (web), DCI-P3 (cinema), Adobe RGB (print), or Rec. 2020 (HDR).
A display's color gamut tells you which colors it can show and how saturated those colors can be. Different industries use different reference gamuts.
Reference gamuts
- sRGB — the baseline for web content. 99–100% sRGB is now table stakes for any modern display.
- DCI-P3 — cinema standard. Covers about 25% more color volume than sRGB. The most useful gamut for video and HDR work in 2026.
- Adobe RGB — designed for print prepress. Important if you proof for print.
- Rec. 2020 — wide-gamut HDR target. No display covers 100% Rec. 2020 in 2026; ~80% is excellent.
What to look for
For everyday work: 95%+ sRGB is fine. For photo and video editing: 95%+ DCI-P3. For print prepress: 95%+ Adobe RGB. Manufacturer numbers should be third-party-verified (Calman, X-Rite); marketing "120% sRGB" claims usually means the panel is oversaturated, not that it covers more color volume.
Where this matters
Categories that use color gamut
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