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DCI-P3 vs Adobe RGB: same size, different shape

By TechCompare · Updated · How we check

In CIE 1931 xy, DCI-P3's area is 100.6% of Adobe RGB's, yet it covers only 88.3% of it. P3 reaches further into red, and Adobe RGB further into green and cyan.

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CIE 1931 xy chart with sRGB, Adobe RGB and DCI-P3The curved outline holds every color people can see, with wavelengths in nanometers along its edge. Each standard is a triangle of its red, green and blue primaries. A larger triangle holds more saturated colors.
  • DCI-P3, the solid line
  • sRGB (BT.709): The web, most apps and SDR video. BT.709, the HDTV standard, has the same primaries.
  • Adobe RGB: Photo editing and print. It reaches further into green and cyan than DCI-P3.
DCI-P3 against each reference, in CIE 1931 xy
ReferenceCoverageArea
sRGB100.0%135.7%
Adobe RGB88.3%100.6%

Coverage is the part of the reference inside the triangle, so it stops at 100%. Area is the triangle's size next to the reference, and it can pass 100%. Spec sheets don't always say which one they print.

Open this chart in the Color Gamut Visualizer. Check any standard, enter a monitor's primaries or spec sheet numbers, and switch between CIE 1931 xy and u'v'.
Edit in the full tool

DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB are the two wide color ranges on monitor spec sheets. They're close in size, so a spec sheet can make them look like rivals for the same job. They aren't. The chart fills DCI-P3 and draws Adobe RGB as an outline, and the two triangles cross: each one holds colors the other can't show.

Topic
DCI-P3 vs Adobe RGB
Two wide ranges
On the chart
sRGB, DCI-P3, Adobe RGB
CIE 1931 xy

How this is calculated

Adobe made Adobe RGB in 1998 to hold the colors that CMYK printers can make. It keeps sRGB's red and blue and moves green out to x 0.210, y 0.710, the same green as the 1953 NTSC TV standard. That makes room for the cyans and greens that print inks reach and sRGB doesn't.

DCI-P3 came from digital cinema. It keeps the same blue, moves red out to 0.680, 0.320 and green to 0.265, 0.690. Its deeper red suits film, and its green lands between sRGB's and Adobe RGB's.

So each range has a part the other misses. Adobe RGB's extra is a band of cyan and green along the top left of the chart. P3's extra is a sliver of deep red and orange on the right.

The chart changes the numbers. In CIE 1976 u'v', DCI-P3 covers 93.6% of Adobe RGB, and its area is 107.6% of Adobe RGB's.

Verdict

For photo work that ends on paper, Adobe RGB coverage is the number to read. For video, HDR, phones and the web, read DCI-P3. A screen that covers all of one won't cover all of the other unless its triangle reaches past both, so check both numbers if you do both kinds of work.

More Color Gamut Visualizer scenarios

sRGB vs DCI-P3
DCI-P3 holds all of sRGB and reaches further into red and green. Here's how big the gap is, and when it matters.
View details
sRGB vs Adobe RGB
Adobe RGB keeps sRGB's red and blue and moves green far out. Here's what that adds for photos and print.
View details
DCI-P3 vs Rec. 2020
Rec. 2020 is the range HDR video is stored in. DCI-P3 is what screens actually reach. Here's the gap between them.
View details

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RGB vs CMYK
Why print colors differ from screen colors.
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Why the same hex looks different
Same numbers, different light on each screen.
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Frequently asked questions

Is Adobe RGB bigger than DCI-P3?
No, it's a little smaller. In CIE 1931 xy, Adobe RGB's area is 99.4% of DCI-P3's, and in CIE 1976 u'v' it's 92.9%. The two cover different colors, so the shape tells you more than the size.
Which is better for photo editing?
Adobe RGB, if your photos end up in print, since it holds the cyans and greens that inks can make. DCI-P3, if they end up on phones, tablets and the web. A RAW file holds more than either, so you pick the range when you export.
Can a monitor cover both?
Yes, if its red reaches as far as P3's and its green as far as Adobe RGB's. Some photo monitors aim for that. Look for both coverage numbers in a review, not one of them.

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