All About Color Management

Note: This is a simplified, easy to understand explanation of what color

management on the computer is all about. We have tried to minimize the
jargon and technical explanations as much as possible. Highly technical
writings on color management can be found on the Internet if one wishes to
pursue this subject further. Our intent is to give an explanation that can be
understood by the average person. A basic understanding of color
management will help you, either directly or indirectly, make better digital
prints. This is our "first edition" of All About Color Management. We will
periodically add to, edit and update, and improve this writing. We welcome
your feedback (pc35@volcano.net). If you find some errors, areas that are
confusing, or need further explanation, please let us know.

Why We Need Color Management . . .

When importing, creating, editing, and viewing a digital photo it is critical we

have consistent color all the way from the source (scanned image, digital
camera image, etc.) to the final print. A color management system can
reconcile the color differences among these devices (digital cameras,
scanners, monitors, printers) so we can be more certain the final print is what
we want.

Color Space . . .

Each device operates within a specific range of colors. This is the devices
color space or gamut. No device whether it be a digital camera, monitor, or
printer, is capable of producing the full range of colors seen by the human
eye.

Color spaces are defined within two different color modes: RGB (red, green,
blue) and CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). Scanners, monitors, and
most digital image files function within the RGB mode. Printers can function
in either RGB or CMYK mode. This is one of the most confusing aspects of
color management and requires further explanation.

Most of the printers we use, including inkjet printers use CMYK inks (or some
variation). When using printer profiles the printer's color space is defined in
terms of RGB and Lab color values. When the printer profile is created the
Lab color values are measured from the CMYK ink patches made by the
printer's test chart. These color values are not saved in CMYK mode, but in
Lab color values. This allows the color space to be translated from Lab to
RGB or RGB to Lab. So, our printers are actually functioning as RGB devices.
This will be discussed further near the end of this writing. More background
information is needed here now to make this area of color management more
clear.

Most RGB devices are capable of producing a greater range of colors than
CMYK devices (our RGB printers!). Computer monitors, for example, can
always display more colors than your printer is capable of printing. Because
of these differences in color spaces, colors can shift when transferring an
image from one device to another. The function of a color management
system is to control and adjust for these differences and shifts in colors. The
goal is for the colors in your final print to look the same as the colors on your
monitor, and for these colors to look the same as the colors in your original
photo. Of course computer imaging gives you the ability to improve upon a
less than perfect original photo (i.e. retouching the photo) and maybe create
a near perfect final digital print.

A Little History . . .

Color management has been around for a long time. They were known as
prepress systems used to separate colors which were then sent to a four-
color press machine for printing. The CEPS installations were very expensive
and proprietary in nature. That is, you had to go to one physical location for
the entire process. There was no cross-platform compatibility. There were
no common standards between different CEPS installations.

Eventually the International Color Consortium (ICC) was formed around 1993
with the goal of creating, promoting, and encouraging the standardization of
an open, cross-platform color management system. In 1998 Photoshop 5.0
was the first application to implement the ICC standards. This first
incarnation didn't work very well for consumers, so Adobe came out with an
improved version in Photoshop 6.0.

ICC Color Management Lets You Do Three Things . . .

1. Convert color images from one color space to another (e.g. RGB to Lab).

2. See colors on a monitor as they'll appear in print.

3. Create proof images on printers.

That's it. It doesn't fix bad photos. An average photo cannot be turned into a
great photo using this system. It can only help give you some consistency
when going from scanner to monitor to printer.

The two most common color management systems in use now are Windows
ICM and Apple's Colorsync. These are complex "color engines" that process
mathematical data from the various devices and digital images we are using.
The CMS will also function as a feedback system. For example, information
used to create a mathematical definition for the color space of a printed
image can be fed back to the monitor to simulate what the printed image will
look like on the monitor (called a soft proof). Photoshop is capable of
displaying a "soft proof" to simulate what the print will look like before it is
printed. One must be using a calibrated monitor in order for this to work
well. Photoshop can also display "out-of'gamut" colors, or colors the monitor
can show but colors the printer cannot print. These will be the areas of your
photo to look at carefully because they will be the areas where a color shift
will occur. The color shift may not be noticeable or it could be significant, but
it will occur. There is usually very little one can do to avoid the color shifts.
We just live within the limitations of this technology.

Now We Get To The Confusing Stuff . . .

When you need to convert colors from one color space to another color
space, a means of handling "out-of'gamut" colors has to occur. The Color
Management Module (CMM) is the engine of a CMS that drives color
conversions. The CMM uses look up tables (LUT) to perform these
conversions. The CMM does little more than cross-reference a set of numbers
from one color space to another color space.

Before giving an example of a conversion process we need to talk about

device-dependent color spaces and device-independent color spaces. Both
are used by the CMM. RGB abd CMYK are device-dependent color spaces
because they are usually associated with a device (scanner, monitor, printer,
etc.). Lab Color and XYZ Color are theoretical color spaces that represent the
visible color spectrum. Lab and XYZ are device-independent color spaces
that can represent any color in the spectrum. We need to use Lab or XYZ
color spaces within color management because we do not want to impose
any unnecessary limitations on the conversion process by using a color space
(like RGB or CMYK) with a limited range of colors.

Our Example . . .

We want to convert the RGB image we see on the monitor to CMYK for
printing purposes. First, Photoshop sends the RGB values of a pixel in the
image to the CMM. The CMM finds these values in a LUT in the image's RGB
source profile. The CMM then finds the same color values in Lab or XYZ. This
is done for every pixel in our image. We now have an image defined in Lab
or XYZ color space. Next, CMM looks up the LUT in the printer profile for our
CMYK print image. This is where our color shifts occur because some of the
colors in our original RGB image, and now Lab or XYZ color image, may not
exist in our CMYK profile. So, CMM finds the next closest color values. The
CMM sends these values back to Photoshop and we now have our image
defined within the constrains of CMYK. Remember our image is still residing
in a Lab or XYZ color space. It has NOT been converted to CMYK color values.
The printer profile we are using contains CMYK color values (which define our
range of printable colors), but these values reside within the printer profile in
a Lab or XYZ color space. When our image is sent to print, the Lab values
convert to the RGB color space and finally our printer driver converts the RGB
color values to CMYK color values for printing.

About Rendering Intents . . .

There are four different rendering intents available when converting your
image from RGB to CMYK: Perceptual, relative colorimetric, absolute
colorimetric, and saturation. Each rendering intent tells the CMM how to
convert colors for the desired effect. Most color-managed programs like
Photoshop let you pick a rendering intent, but you can't in some programs,
like QuarkXPress 4.0. You'll need to look at your own application program to
see if it offers the rendering intent options.

Perceptual Intent - - Perceptual intent compresses all colors in the image;

overall saturation is decreased slightly, but the relationship between all
colors is preserved, meaning the image looks very similar to the original. The
main negative of using this intent is that it compresses the color gamut, and
it does this whether or not it is needed for a given image.

Relative Colorimetric - - In relative colorimetric intent, out-of-gamut colors in

the source image are converted to the closest available matches in the
destination image. This can cause some colors to be clipped. In-gamut
colors are unchanged. The main negative here is that out-of-gamut colors
will shift slightly, sometimes causing a loss of detail or posterization in
clipped areas. Images with a lot of detail in highlight areas may be affected
by this intent.

Perceptual and relative colorimetric intent are the two most commonly used
intents. Both remap the media white point of the original to that white point
of the destination. There is no hard and fast rule in choosing one over the
other. If color quality is critical for you then its best to try both ways and see
which you like best.

Absolute Colorimetric - - Absolute colorimetric is the same as relative

colorimetric except it does not remap the white point. This is helpful when,
for example, you want to ultimately print to newsprint but you are proofing
on bright white paper. This intent will simulate on your bright white paper
what your image will look like on newsprint.

Saturation Intent - - Saturation intent will sacrifice color accuracy for color
saturation. You might use this intent for charts or graphs or anywhere you
need vivid colorful images. It does not work well for photographs.
What Are ICC Profiles . . .

ICC profiles are a set of numerical tables that define colors within a color
space. ICC profiles can define color for a scanner, digital camera, monitor,
printer, or a digital image. All digital images are defined within a color space.
The standard ICC profile for a RGB image will contain number tables for all of
its RGB color values. The profile will also contain a set of tables for Lab or
XYZ color values. Using a LUT these color values can be translated back and
forth, RGB to Lab, Lab to RGB.

Printer profiles are used by the CMM engine to produce accurate colors when
printing and when soft proofing.

Custom Printer Profiles are individually made profiles that calibrate a specific
printer to one type of paper using a specific inkset, and a specific set of
printer driver settings. To create the custom profile a set of color charts must
first be printed on this printer with the appropriate printer driver settings.
The color patches from these charts are then measured by a colorimeter or
spectrophotometer. Spectrophotometers are more advanced and accurate
than colorimeters so are the preferred instrument for making quality profiles.
The color values are usually measured and recorded in Lab values, not RGB
or even CMYK values. Despite the fact that most printers we use print in
CMYK (or some variation), these printers function as RGB printers. Printer
profiles contain several sets of numbers defining RGB and Lab color values
for all of the color patches that were measured by the spectrophotometer.
They also contain information about rendering intents. The printer profile can
then translate color space back and forth, RGB to Lab and Lab to RGB using a
specific rendering intent. Color values are ONLY converted to CMYK by the
printer driver when sending the image to the printer for printing. The
conversion to CMYK values is basically a hidden process we have no control
over.

How Does a Custom Printer Profile Help? Why Not Use Generic or Free Printer
Profiles?
** A custom printer profile maintains the closest possible match between
your input image and the final print.

** Print output will be more predictable, reducing the need for more
corrections to your photo.

** Greater predictability means fewer reprints, saving you money.

** Custom profiles may use less ink per print depending upon the printer
used, saving ink costs.

** Custom printer profiles can usually print a wider range of colors than
manufacturer's profiles.

** Grayscale values will be more accurate, making it possible to print quality

B&W prints.

** You can create a custom printer profile for any type of paper so you are
not tied to expensive manufacturer papers.

** Print onto a wide variety of third-party papers, canvas and fabric media
not normally available for your printer.

** A high quality custom printer profile often produces better shadow and
highlight detail compared to generic profiles.

Here is a list of software and hardware color management tools . . .

Application Software - - Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Pagemaker,
Macromedia Freehand, CorelDraw, and QuarkXPress.

To Profile Monitors - - Colorblind Prove-It, Gretag-Macbeth iCSync and

EyeOne Monitor, Color Vision Monitor Spyder colorimeter and Optical
software, MonacoEZcolor and Sequel Chroma colorimeter, and Heidelberg
ViewOpen. LCD monitors are becoming more popular but are more difficult
to profile and are usually not as color accurate or as bright as a CRT monitor.

To Profile Digital Cameras - - Pictographics InCamera Professional, and

GretagMacbeth ColorChecker DC and ProfileMaker Pro.

Note: This is not a complete listing. We will try to add to it when possible.
Color Profiles

Printer Profiles

Printer Profiles

ICC Profiles

Giclee Prints

Printer Profiles

Printer Profiles

Color Profiles