Color · sRGB
sRGB gamut
The default web color space, and what happens outside it.
Key facts
| Default space | sRGB |
|---|---|
| Primaries | Rec. 709 |
| Transfer function | Piecewise gamma |
| Wide gamut | Display-P3, Rec. 2020 |
| CSS support | color() and display-p3 |
| Out-of-gamut | Clipped or mapped |
Why hex is always sRGB
A hex value carries no color-space tag, so browsers interpret it as sRGB. The same bytes on a wide-gamut monitor are mapped into that monitor's space; they do not magically become more saturated. To use wider primaries, CSS offers color(display-p3 …) and similar functions.
Designing across gamuts
Provide an sRGB fallback for every wide-gamut color, and check that the fallback still passes contrast. Screenshots and exported images may be converted differently depending on the tool, so compare rendered output rather than only stored numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Can an sRGB color be out of gamut for CMYK?
Yes. Print gamuts differ; saturated screen colors often cannot be reproduced in ink.
Does a P3 monitor make sRGB colors more vivid?
No. sRGB content is mapped into P3; only content tagged with wider primaries can use the extra range.
What is gamut clipping?
Forcing an out-of-range channel to its nearest valid value, which can shift hue and flatten detail.