Canon Selphy CP1500 Color Management in Review – Is an ICC Profile Worth It?
The Canon® Selphy CP1500 is a compact, mobile photo printer for photos in the 10×15 cm format. It is designed for simple, straightforward printing: directly from a smartphone, tablet, or camera – without a PC, without drivers, without adjustment options.
But this is exactly what presents demanding users with a problem:
The printer offers no accessible color management.
I therefore took a closer look at the Selphy CP1500 and tested how print quality can be influenced using an ICC profile – including comparison prints, black-and-white tests, and a clear conclusion.
Canon® Selphy CP1500: Printing without color management
With the Selphy CP1500, Canon® relies entirely on an internal, fixed color management system.
This means:
- no printer drivers for Windows or macOS
- no option to select ICC profiles in the print dialog
- no control over color space, tonal curves, or gray axis
The printer itself decides how colors are interpreted and output.
Typical impression without an ICC profile
In practice, the following characteristics can be observed, best assessed in direct comparison:
- stronger, more saturated colors
- overall a somewhat more “poppy” look
- slight bluish cast, especially in neutral areas
- black-and-white prints appear somewhat cooler
- dark image areas lose detail more quickly
ICC profile for the Canon Selphy CP1500 – is that even possible?
Officially: no.
In practice: yes, with limitations.
I colorimetrically measured the Selphy CP1500 using a custom-made ICC test chart with 165 measurement patches and created a specific ICC profile from it. In this process, the printer itself is not controlled; instead:
👉 The image file is color-adjusted before printing so that it better matches the printer’s internal color management.
Important:
• This only works via a computer
• In mobile use (smartphone / tablet), the ICC profile cannot be used
Comparison: Canon® Selphy CP1500 with and without ICC profile
Without ICC profile
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With ICC profile
The print comes much closer to the image on a calibrated monitor. |
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Top: print without ICC profile, bottom: with ICC profile. |
Black-and-white prints: The biggest difference
In black-and-white printing, it becomes even clearer how strongly color management intervenes.
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Top: Without ICC profile
Bottom: With ICC profile
👉 For black-and-white prints, the ICC profile is a clear advantage.
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Advantages and disadvantages at a glance
Advantages of the ICC profile
- more natural colors
- better tonal reproduction
- more neutral black-and-white prints
- more reproducible results
- closer to the original file
Disadvantage
- usable only with a computer
- not usable in mobile operation
Is an ICC profile worth it for the Canon® Selphy CP1500?
My honest assessment:
The Canon® Selphy CP1500 remains a mobile convenience printer.
It is not designed for classic color management.
But:
👉 With a suitable ICC profile, print quality can be visibly improved.
For photographers who value more natural color reproduction that more closely matches the print file and a more neutral rendering of black-and-white photos, the ICC profile is definitely worthwhile.
Anyone who prints exclusively and spontaneously from a smartphone has to accept the Canon look – it is pleasing, but not neutral.
Free download: ICC profile for Canon® Selphy CP1500
I provide the ICC profile I created for the Canon® Selphy CP1500 free of charge for download. It has been tested in practice, created specifically for this printer, and is ideal for color photography and black-and-white.
👉 Download: ICC profile for Canon Selphy CP1500
Conclusion
If you want control over your images, you need an ICC profile.
Everything else is guesswork.
You can find our ICC profile service for photo and large-format printing here:
