A method of mapping color values so colors can be reproduced on different devices, even if the devices have a different gamut. As part of this process, it determines how in-gamut and out-of-gamut colors are mapped.  Different methods of compressing are used depeding on the rendering intent selected so out-of-gamut color values so they can be reproduced.

Rendering intents control how a profile is applied and how the colors are mapped from one gamut to another. Specifically it decided how to handle colors within an image that are not achievable by the printer's gamut. Because printers must take into account gamuts, white point, and other variable factors, rendering intents allow one profile to be used for different circumstances.

You can choose a rendering intent for both images (raster data) and vector objects (PostScript data). 

The following describes the specific types of rendering intents available, when to use them, and how they work:

Perceptual 

This rendering intent is best suited for raster images like those from scanners and digital cameras. This gives your images pleasing color. It adjusts all the colors in the image by compressing the gamut of the larger color space to control the colors that are outside the gamut of the output profile. Every color changes slightly and the saturation may be sacrificed in some cases, but the overall results of your image look pleasing because the relationship between the colors stays the same. This is the default setting for images.  

• Perceptual will compress the gamut of one color space into another while maintaining the relative relationship between the hues.
• Saturation may be sacrificed in some cases. Because the overall relationship between the colors is maintained, the appearance of images with a large number of hues tends to be better.

Absolute Colorimetric

This rendering intent is most often used for profiling or simulating another device when you want to simulate the final output substrate color. It accurately reproduces all the colors within the printer's range, but adjusts the out of gamut colors so that they fall within the range of the printer. This setting simulates the white point of the input profile.

• This intent reproduced in gamut colors exactly and clips out of gamut colors to the nearest reproducible hue. 

Relative Colorimetric

This rendering intent is most often used for vector art or for simulating another printer when you do not need to simulate the final output substrate color. It accurately reproduces the colors within the printer's range, but does not attempt to accurately render the out of gamut colors. This can result in some strange color patterns because the final colors that are out of gamut are not reproduced. This setting uses the color of the output media as the white point. When proofing, this proofs only the image, and assumes that the media used is the same as the final media.

• Out of gamut colors are clipped to the nearest reproducible hue at the expense of saturation and lightness.
• This is most often the best choice for reproducing vector files with a limited number of colors such as logos.

Saturation

 
This rendering intent is best used when you need to maintain the saturation of your colors. This gives you the best solid hues. It takes all the colors and scales them to the brightest saturation possible. This is most suitable for printing when color impact is more important than color accuracy, such as for bright signage and business graphics.

• Then end result is output that maintains its overall vivid nature of the file with out necessarily a precise reproduction of the original hues.
• Bright signage and business graphics often work best with this rendering.

Poster Color

This rendering intent was developed by ONYX Graphics, Inc. to allow for an improved CMYK color workflow. It preserves the hue and relative saturation by mapping the input CMYK gamut directly to the output CMYK gamut. If the output gamut is larger than the input gamut, the output will be more colorful than the source image. Use this rendering intent with a CMYK source workflow. Using this rendering intent with an RGB source workflow provides the same results as the perceptual rendering intent.

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