However, none of the profiles mentioned here actually reflect the true color of the .png I was using. The Generic RGB comes pretty close, but the icon doesn’t end up with the same color as the original. It may just be me, but I found that the profile that gave the EXACT right color was the Color LCD profile. Again, it may just be me, but you might want to try that alternative as well.

Looks just awful.

Snow Leopard has switched it’s gamma to 2.2 from the previous 1.8. Windows has always used 2.2 as well as a lot of post production software. Apple has held out for many years, but finally conformed to make it easier on designers to hand images back and forth. Check out this article from Apple:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3712

Be excellent

I’ve noticed however, that a lot of the comments on this blog post talk about correcting the way OS X 10.6 handles ICNS rendering [or] how Photoshop (in particular) outputs images for the purpose of using ICNS files.

While both are valid points of interest with regards to the original post (I cannot justify calling them “arguments” as neither are); both fall short of addressing the true nature of the issue that Cabel has written about. Which is quite simple: That ICNS files look washed out when: they are generated on OS X 10.6 (regardless of the image tool you use), you receive them (perhaps from a person that has made them without thinking about or noticing the color profile issue), or you are give them to someone else (who is also running OS X 10.6, and, who has not made any changes to their system’s global default color profile).

Thus, when tackling this issue myself, some many months ago, I devised a slightly more universal way to handle this problem.

The solution I came up with was to simply use OS X 10.6′s built-in Preview app.

Here is what I do, regardless of what app I use to make an ICNS or who gives me an ICNS (if it is obvious the file given looks washed out).

Open the ICNS file in question in Preview (baring the ICNS file has some kind of “icon/image mask [layers, usually 16x16 or 32x32 that are black]“). From Preview’s file menu do an Edit > Select All command, to grab all the layers (however, you can’t save your product if the ICNS in question contains any “icon/image masks”). Next from the file menu do a Tools > Assign Profile… > ColorSync Profile: sRGB IEC61966-2.1 command. You should notice all the lawyers darken slightly after setting the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 color profile. Finally do a File > Save > Replace command [or] File > Save As > Name command (if you want to compare the old ICNS you originally made or were given side-by-side with your OS X 10.6 color corrected version).

I’ve found this method to be incredibly simple, quick, and easy to use. I hope others do too.

Furthermore: Another enterprising individual out there could take my method a step further and build an app with Automator or AppleScript Editor (to name a few), to take the whole process I’ve just explained and wrap into a nice little drag-&-drop to the Dock app.

Good luck to all’ya’all. And many thanks once again to Cabel of Panic for this most excellent blog article.

Thanks for that tip! It works perfectly.

I’ve always struggled to understand colour management (Who hasn’t?)

As for tip on what to do, this article + what @ricky said seems to be the key. Although it requires a calibration tool + software. I haven’t gotten any, cause I doubt it will solve the problem.