Scalable color balancing techniques for processing images to be presented on displays are described. One technique includes receiving ambient light color information from an ambient light sensor and input image data to be presented via a display coincident with receiving the ambient light color information. The display may have a first white point at a time prior to receiving the input image data. The technique may include determining a second white point for the display based on the input image data and the ambient light color information. The first and second white points may differ from each other. The technique may also include generating one or more chromatic adaptation transforms (CATs) based on the white points. Output image data may be generated based on applying the one or more CATs to the input image data. The output image data may be presented via the display. Other embodiments are described.