Blender Color Management: AgX, Linear Workflow, and Export

What will you learn in this guide?

Color management in Blender is more than a final touch that makes a render look warmer or cooler. It is part of the workflow that determines how an image is calculated in the scene, transformed for display, and saved to a file with specific color information. When settings are mixed up, the same material can look different than expected across scenes or applications.

This guide covers the key differences between AgX and Filmic, the role of the scene-linear color space, color space selection for image files, and what to consider when exporting a render. The goal is not to prescribe one “correct look” for every project, but to establish a consistent starting point by understanding the reasons behind each choice.

Requirements and version notes

This guide draws on Blender’s color management documentation and Blender Studio’s Blender 4.5 LTS training materials. Blender 4.0 release notes state that AgX is the default view transform for new files, replacing Filmic. Depending on the version you use, the options may look different or be available in different ways, so check the setting names in the version used for your project.

The sources do not specify any additional account requirements for these workflows. HDR viewing requires a monitor capable of displaying HDR colors. Blender Manual states that this feature is currently supported only on macOS. The HDR option does not work in the same way as Filmic and AgX, which are designed for SDR viewing; the documentation says an HDR-capable view transform is required for HDR output.

Color management, step by step

1. Choose the project’s view transform. Find the View Transform setting under Color Management in Render Properties. AgX became the default for new files in Blender 4.0. Blender’s documentation says AgX aims to handle overexposed and saturated colors better than Filmic; colors in bright areas approaching white are intended to resemble the response of a real camera. The guide gives AgX a dynamic range of 16.5 stops. This does not mean AgX is automatically the best aesthetic choice for every project; it is an option worth considering for renders aiming for a realistic look.

2. Set the display device appropriately. Display Device determines which display color space Blender uses to show the image. The source documentation describes sRGB as a common choice for most screens, while Display P3 is used on Apple devices. Matching Blender’s selection to your monitor and operating system settings helps you assess colors more accurately. Don’t assume an image that looks right on one screen will look the same on other devices.

3. Keep the scene’s linear workflow intact. Blender primarily uses scene-linear colors for rendering and compositing calculations. Linear values provide a more physically based foundation for calculating light contributions, but they do not directly correspond to human perception or how a screen works. Blender transforms scene colors into a display color space for viewing. That’s why the color spaces used when importing and exporting images matter just as much as the render settings.

4. Choose a working space at the start of the project. Blender’s documentation identifies Linear Rec.709 as the default working space; Linear Rec.2020 and ACEScg are also options for wider-gamut or ACES workflows. The working space affects the color data in the file and the results of rendering and compositing. The documentation recommends choosing it at the start of a project and using it consistently in blend files. Converting between different working spaces is possible, but results may be approximate and manual adjustments may be necessary.

5. Separate textures from data maps. Files such as PNG or JPEG are generally stored in color spaces suitable for display. Blender applies a color transform when using these images in a render. Normal and displacement maps, however, carry data encoded as color values rather than actual colors. Marking these files as Non-Color Data prevents the color transform from altering the data. Blender’s documentation also notes that if the file’s color space has not been identified correctly, you can change it manually in the image settings.

6. Save intermediate renders as OpenEXR. OpenEXR is recommended for intermediate files that will be composited or color graded later in production. According to Blender’s guides, this format stores scene-linear colors at high precision and is suitable for avoiding data loss. If the final delivery needs to be a PNG or JPEG, the linear intermediate file must be converted to a display-ready format. When saving, check whether the view transform has been applied.

7. Compare the render with what you see on screen. Blender applies the view transform to images rendered directly as Render Result and Viewer. By contrast, an image loaded from OpenEXR may not automatically be recognized as a render. The guide describes View as Render as an option for applying the view transform when displaying the image, and Save as Render for applying it when saving. Once you have chosen the delivery format, reopen the saved file and compare it with the expected appearance.

Common mistakes

One of the most common issues is leaving a normal or displacement map set up like an ordinary color texture. The color transform can affect the numerical data carried by such a file. Check whether the map contains data rather than color, and use the Non-Color Data option.

Another mistake is assuming that a linear OpenEXR file will look on screen like a finished delivery image. If the image needs to be displayed or saved with a View Transform, check the relevant options. Also, View Transform and Display Device do not serve the same purpose: the former determines how the image is tone-mapped for display, while the latter sets the target display color space.

Finally, changing the working space midway through a project does not mean the results will automatically match perfectly. Blender’s documentation says conversions between different working spaces are approximate and may require manual adjustments. If possible, choose the working space at the beginning and use the same setting across the team.

Impact on architecture, interiors, and archviz workflows

For architectural visualization teams, these settings matter particularly when evaluating different lighting conditions, bright windows, and saturated materials in the same scene. AgX’s handling of bright colors can help control the appearance of overexposed areas, but material and lighting decisions should still be validated in the scene. Using the same working space across shared projects reduces the risk of color interpretation changing between files.

For anyone sending renders to another application for compositing or color grading, OpenEXR intermediates and correct color space assignment are key. If the delivery is a PNG or JPEG, verify the final transform separately. Those working with HDR displays should check hardware and operating system support; according to Blender Manual, this viewing feature is limited to macOS. These sources contain no licensing or pricing information; separately check the licensing terms for the applications and add-ons used by your team.

Next steps

Start by rendering a test image from the same scene and comparing the results from AgX and the other available view transforms. Then check texture color spaces, the Non-Color Data setting for data maps, and the intermediate file format. If the project involves multiple working spaces or different displays, inspect the output file in the target viewing environment as well. These checks make it easier to tell whether an issue comes from the scene or from color management before changing visual decisions.

Sources and licensing

This guide was written in original wording based on Blender 4.0 color management release notes, Blender Studio’s Blender 4.5 LTS training materials, and Blender Manual’s color management documentation. Blender Manual’s color management and color spaces pages are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; this content has been adapted into Turkish and summarized.