The VIGC50 Extreme Color Suite comprises 50 hi-res RGB photos that highlight major differences between profiles based on the same characterisation data.

The images are taken from a library of around 100,000 high resolution photos taken with a variety of different digital cameras, including 8-bit and 16-bit versions.

As part of the testing involved in creating the photo set, VIGC converted all the images from RGB to CMYK with three coated profiles and two newspaper profiles.

This revealed "major differences" between the profiles such as: blue regularly becomes purple; yellow sometimes acquires a green tone; red sometimes becomes magenta; and skin tone sometimes becomes more yellow.

Eddy Hagen, director at VIGC, said: "From the dozens of photos we converted, we have picked the pictures where we saw [the biggest] differences – for example, in an area of colour, or in skin tones."

A free version containing three of the 50 images (VIGC3) is available from the VIGC website, where printers can also order the whole test suite, which is priced at €295 (£259).

"The VIGC3 gives users a good idea of the differences that can exist between different profiles," said Hagen. "The VIGC50 is a must-have for companies that are serious about achieving top-quality colour management."

Hagen added that the test suite was applicable to everyone who works with colour images, including printers, pre-press firms, creators of ICC profiles, and colour conversion software developers.