Color Management

Fundamentals

Don Hutcheson HutchColor, LLC

Copyright © 2020 HutchColor.com

Agenda (all times approximate)

13:30 Color Management Basics

14:30 Color Management for Production
15:00 Break

15:30 Color Management for Creative & Design

16:30 Adjourn, ( bar! )

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 Color Management
Basics

Don Hutcheson HutchColor, LLC

Copyright © 2020 HutchColor.com

Content

§ Basic color theory – how we see color

§ Measuring and expressing color numerically
§ How lighting affects color
§ Basics of ICC Color Management
§ Reality check (nothing’s perfect)

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 Main messages

§ ICC color management is easy!

If you remember a few simple rules
§ But consistent printing is NOT easy!
§ Quality is proportional to price
§ Good color is RELATIVE, not absolute
§ Don’t let your expectations exceed capabilities

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“Macro” color management

§ Most of today’s cameras, printers and displays come with

good generic built-in profiles
§ Often enough for “pleasing color” and casual users
§ Avoids the need for custom profiling
§ BUT not good enough for serious, high-end work
Some colors may be way off
Less consistency or accuracy

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 “Micro” color management

§ Custom profiles improve color accuracy enormously

§ Owning your own tools = control and consistency
§ But beware of “creeping elegance”
Easy to get caught up in the quest for “perfection”, when “near
enough” might have been good enough
$$$ (millions) wasted annually on ridiculously small “corrections”

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What is Color
Management?

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 Color management is …
Consistent color from
capture to print

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Main color management goal

Match the appearance of an image, artwork, product, brand-
color etc. from concept to output

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 Why do we need color management?
Predictable, accurate color, regardless of source or output

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What is color management NOT ?

§ A perfect science
§ A guarantee of perfection
§ A cure for unpredictable devices

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 Key color management concepts

§ Color management is based on measuring color

§ Color measurement is based on human vision
§ Color reproduction is controlled by ICC profiles
§ ICC profiles make color “match” on different devices
...or as nearly as possible
§ Main limitations?
Color gamut & device variations

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Main limitation: device gamut

Before color
management

After
management
(note device
gamut limits)

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 Defining Color
Vision
Thanks to the
Commission International l’Eclairage
(International commission on illumination)

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RGB are the "primary colors" of vision

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 CIE color vision experiments (1920s)
Reference (Stepped from 380nm to 780nm)
wavelength

Observor(s)

Monochromatic RGB
wavelengths Attenuators
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CIELAB (L*a*b* or “Lab color”)

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 L* (lightness axis)

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a* (red – green axis)

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 b* (blue – yellow axis)

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a*, b*? – just remember fruit

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 CIELCH – same but more intuitive

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What do LAB and LCH describe?

The
“standard
observer”

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 Angle of view affects color

§ Original CIE tests analyzed

central 2° of retina

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Angle of view affects color

§ Later work used 10°

Slightly different results

§ So there are two CIE

"standard observers",
2° and 10°

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 How "standard" is your eye?

§ We all see color slightly

differently

§ “Color blindness” is just an

extreme example

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Human vision is not constant

§ Varies almost randomly due to ...

Mood
Memory
Preference
Adjacent colors
Ambient lighting
..... etc.

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 Key variable: Chromatic Adaptation

§ The human visual system's ability to compensate for

changes in illumination color
Similar to camera "auto white-balance"

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Chromatic adaptation demo

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 Chromatic adaptation
What the camera saw What I saw after a minute

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Measuring Color
Expressing what we see in numbers
The essential first step in color management

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 Measuring color

§ Expressing an object, printed sample - anything we can

see - in standard numeric units

§ These standard units can be used to:

Build an ICC profile
Check color accuracy
Specify a desired color, independent of printing process

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It's all based on human vision

§ Measuring devices try to emulate the human eye

§ Color measurement would be impossible if we didn’t

understand how humans see color

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 Colorimeters ($)
§ Typical use – monitor profiling

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Spectro-densitometer ($$$)
§ Hand-held measurements of density, LAB Delta E, etc.
§ Typical uses: printer calibration and process control

Konica Minolta FD7 X-Rite eXact Techkon SpectroDens

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 Spectrophotometer ($$$)
§ About 32 spectral samples per reading
§ More accurate and powerful (and expensive)
Typical uses: print calibration & characterization (profiling)
X-Rite i1Pro2 X-Rite i1iSis
Barbieri LFP Konica Minolta FD9

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Measuring color
accuracy (or error)
How close are two samples?

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 Measuring color error (delta-E)
§ Difference between achieved and desired color
Printed L*a*b*
(reproduction)

Desired L*a*b*
(reference)

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Delta E (∆E76 )
§ Derived from CIELAB:
∆L2+ ∆a2 + ∆b2

Distance between
two points in 3D
Lab space

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 Problems with Delta E76

§ Not "perceptually uniform"

§ A proof might fail when it's
visually acceptable
Especially if the error is in
chroma (saturation)

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Delta E 2000 (∆E00)

§ Different equation in
different color regions
§ More visually uniform
§ Better correlation to
human vision
§ Less sensitive to chroma
errors

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 Why ∆E00 is better
Reference Measured

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Why ∆E00 is better

Reference Measured

Reference
Measured

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 ∆E76 (fail) vs ∆E00 (pass)

∆E76
∆E00

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Viewing Color
Lighting is a key variable in how we see color
But “white light” is seldom what it seems

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 Standardized viewing

D50
(ISO 3664:2009)

the only ‘standard’

way to view color
Not the same as 5000°K

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D50 vs. 5000°K

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 Metamerism failure
Meat section D50 Office

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D50 vs. typical light sources

IMPORTANT
COLOR TEMPERATURE
(reddish-bluish) isn’t the
problem, it’s the spectral
content that matters

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 Color temperature
2900°K D50 (5000°K) 7500°K

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Avoid cheap "5000K" lamps

Photo: GTI
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 ICC* Color
Management
(*International Color Consortium)

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Traditional color management

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 Device-dependent color management

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ICC = Device-independent color

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 Basic ICC principle

§ Device-independent color
§ Translating each device into a common 'color space' via its
own 'ICC Profile'
§ Each profile is independent of all others
§ So if one device changes, only its profile is affected

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Each device has its own “ICC profile”

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 Device-independent ICC profiles
§ Custom-made for each individual device
§ Convert RGB or CMYK to & from CIELAB
Input Display Output
Profile Profile Profile

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ICC conversion principle

RGB CMYK

Different pixel
values,
same color

Color
Management
Camera profile Module Press profile

CMM

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 Gamut limitations!
RGB CMYK

Nearest
color: same
hue, lower
chroma

Color
Management
Camera profile Module Press profile

CMM

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Gamut compression
CIEYxy
diagram

Out-of-gamut
green
"Nearest"
green

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 How ICC profiles control color
Output
Input profiles
profile

RIP
Display
profile
CMM
Document
profile

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Reality Check
Nothing’s perfect

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 Good news, bad news

§ ICC color management is nothing

short of magic

§ But nothing's perfect ....

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Flies in the ointment

§ ALL printing systems vary to some extent

§ A proof is a “simulation” of a perfect press
§ Every press run is slightly different
§ Evaluating “quality” is not an exact science
§ Color is subjective and can be personal
§ Quality is proportional to price

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 How to be happy in spite of limitations

§ Realize that color management is not

a perfect science
§ Expect perfection and you will be
disappointed
§ Be grateful for "near perfection”

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Next: Creating and

Using Profiles in
Production
Click to edit Master subtitle style

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 Color Management in
Production

Don Hutcheson HutchColor, LLC

Copyright © 2020 HutchColor.com

Content

§ Display profiling
§ Camera profiling
§ Printer profiling
§ Printer calibration (e.g. G7®)
§ Standardized printing
§ Proofing

G7 is a registered trademark of Idealliance

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 Display Profiling
Computer monitors, projectors etc.

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Easiest option: pre-profiled monitors

EIZO NEC

BenQ

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 Color-critical monitor features

§ Wide color gamut (100% Adobe RGB)

§ Good cross-screen uniformity
§ > 10-bit LUTs (better smoothness)
§ Built-in color gamut settings (e.g. AdobeRGB)

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Typical high-end monitor gamut

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 Custom display profiling principles

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Good, cheap display profiling software

§ basICColor display
www.basiccolor.de

§ Spyder 5 Pro
www.datacolor.com

§ i1 Display Pro
www.xrite.com

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 Display profiling sequence

§ Find optimum hardware settings

(trial-and error first time)
§ Attach device & start software
§ Select white point & gamma
§ Make the profile
§ Check image smoothness with test image
(Included in CarePak)

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First step: hardware settings

§ Color mode
§ Brightness / contrast

§ Evaluate visually with a known test image

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 Free test image

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Voyager test image

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 Clipping and plugging

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Banding or “posterization”

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 Profile settings: white point

4000°K D50 (5000°K) 6500°K

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Profile settings: gamma

1.8 2.2 2.8

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 Check test image again after profiling

Beware of grayscale color shifts or banding

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Monitor profiling frequency?

§ LCD / LED monitors are very stable

One profile can last its lifetime
§ Little need to re-profile
Re-profiling can cause variations!
§ But check monitor settings daily!
Confirm with test image

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 Input Profiling
Camera, scanner

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Scanner / camera profile basics (more later)

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 Printer Profiling
(Press, proofer, desktop printer, etc.)

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Printer profiling sequence

§ Stabilize* the system
§ Calibrate
§ Characterize
§ Create the profile

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 Printer Profiling Essentials
§ Software
§ Measuring device

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Excellent printer profiling software

CoPrA4 i1Profiler

ColorLogic.de X-Rite.com

.. also Agfa, Heidelberg, Kodak, EFI, GMG, and others

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 Standard printer profiling targets

Legacy IT8.7/4 New IT8.7/5 (better)

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Printer profiling workflow

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 Printer profile software variables

§ Total ink coverage / Total area coverage

§ Black start
§ Maximum black
§ Black shape (Black curve)
§ GCR (Black width)

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Printer profile controls: X-Rite

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 Printer profile controls: CoPrA 6

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Gray Component Replacement (GCR)

§ Replaces contaminating C, M and/or Y inks with black in

dark colored areas
§ Saves ink (maybe)
§ Reduces color shift in neutral gray areas
§ Easier press control – press operators love it!
§ Black actually increases CMY color gamut! WHAT?

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 Black ink adds COLOR !!

0 80
100 100
100 100
80 0

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Because black = 100c + 100m + 100y

0 80 80
100 180 100
=
100 180 100
80 0 0
180 – 80 = 100 – 80 =
100% “redness” 20% “redness”

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 Printer Calibration
ESSENTIAL first step before profiling

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Printer profiling sequence

§ Stabilize* the system

§ Calibrate
§ Characterize
§ Create the profile

*NOTE: Calibration and color management will seem to fail if the

system is unstable

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 Traditional (TVI) calibration ...
§ Standard TVI (dot gain) curves

RIP Curves ISO 12647-2 TVI Curves

+ =

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TVI calibration problem – inconsistent grays !

Digital Ink Jet Offset
Before

TVI TVI TVI

After

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 The G7® difference

§ Simple calibration method for ANY

printing system

§ Normalizes gray balance and tonality,

regardless of inks, substrate, etc. Registered trademark of Idealliance

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Core G7 concept

§ Gray balance and tonality can be

completely controlled with curves

§ G7 standardizes this, bringing shared

neutral appearance to all printing
systems

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 Shared Neutral Appearance
Digital Ink Jet Offset
Before

G7 G7 G7
After

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Based on photographic principles

Photoshop curves

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 How G7® enhances color management

§ Produces "pleasing color”, even without ICC profiles

Add ICC profiles for maximum color accuracy
§ Makes CMYK files more transportable between printers
and print technologies

Learn more at www.idealliance.org

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Why is gray special?

§ It's the one color we can say is "right" or "wrong", simply

by looking at it
§ Grays appear correct if they match the viewing "white
point" (e.g. paper)

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 Which one is gray? – (easy)

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Which one is gray? – (harder)

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 Which one is gray? – (very hard)

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Standardized
Printing
CRPCs reduce the need for press profiling
2006 revolution in print quality and cost

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 What is a CRPC?
§ Characterized Reference Print Condition
§ Standardized tables of CMYK values vs. Lab
Averaged from multiple standardized press runs
CMYK target
CRPC

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Standardized CRPCs
Universal “appearance” targets for creative, proofing, press, etc.
Avoid the need to custom profile every press
(So long as same media, inks, calibration, etc. are used)

§ G7-based CRPCs: § TVI-based CRPCs:

GRACoL (2013 and 2006) Fogra 39
SWOP (2013 and 2006) Fogra 51
CGATS.21 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 etc.
etc.

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 GRACoL 2006 vs. GRACoL 2013
GRACoL2006 GRACoL2013

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Hard-copy Proofing
And validating proof accuracy

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 The hard-copy pre-press proof

§ The role of a pre-press proof is to simulate how a press will

probably print
§ A good press run should come close to the proof
§ An "exact match" is statistically impossible
§ Ink-jet proofs are more stable than commercial offset
Deal with it!

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How hard-copy proofing works

Press profile InkJet profile

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 Supplying and accepting proofs

§ ONLY use proofing systems that match the target color

space (e.g. GRACoL) or actual press
§ If in doubt DON’T RELY ON A HARD-COPY PROOF
An embedded profile in your file is more useful
§ A desktop printer is NOT a proofer
Unless it’s properly calibrated and profiled to simulate the
destination device (press)

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When is a proof not a proof?

Designer's desktop print Printer's GRACoL proof

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 Quality Control
Stabilize the system or else!

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Testing proof system accuracy

§ Proof IT8.7/5 target with full color management
§ Evaluate in Curve4 VERIFY (or equivalent software)

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 Individual proof check
§ Measure ISO 12647-7 Control Strip* on every proof

*free @ www.idealliance.org

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Validating supplied proofs

§ Ideally ...
Check IT8.7/5 if possible

§ Or ...
Compare to your internal proof

§ Or ...
Compare to an accurate soft-proof

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 Determining realistic tolerances
§ What can the process achieve?
§ Run-to-run variation?
§ Sheet-to-sheet variation?
§ Cross-sheet variation?
§ Consumable variations (ink, paper, etc.)?
§ Inter-instrument differences?
§ Work type, subject matter?
§ Production cost vs. selling price?
Etc.
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The one Delta-E myth

§ Everyone wants 1.0 dE or less

§ But 1.0 dE is an IMPOSSIBLE goal!
No commercial printer on Earth can meet it in mass production
§ Most printers are afraid to tell that to their clients
§ So they end up losing money because they accept
unrealistic expectations

§ Education is the problem, not technology

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 What one delta-E looks like
§ ∆E 1.0 = theoretical limit of perception

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What one delta-E looks like

§ ∆E 1.0 = theoretical limit of perception

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 Typical measuring limitations

§ Between:
device types: ≈ 1.0 dE
devices (same): ≈ 0.5 dE
readings: ≈ 0.5 dE
§ Approximate total: 2.0

§ Lowest SANE dE tolerance ≥ 2.0

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Passing tolerances vs. visually matching

§ How can two prints pass
tolerance but look
different?
§ Possible causes:
Different measuring devices?
Sample A Sample B
Different ink sets or lighting
(metamerism failure)?
Both errors are different but
still inside the tolerance
“window”?

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 When things go wrong DON’T PANIC
§ Check RIP (DFE) settings
§ Check device calibration
§ Check media and ink
§ Check client's file
Wrong profile or intent?
§ Check the proof or reference print
Was it made to a standard?
§ If all else fails - pick up the phone
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Next:
Color Management for
Creatives

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 Color Management
for Creative and
Photography

Don Hutcheson HutchColor, LLC

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Content

§ Color software settings

§ Custom camera profiling (if you need it)
§ Soft proofing
§ RGB workflow
§ Working with Pantone® and other spot colors
§ Rules for success
§ Managing expectations

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 Color Software
Settings

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Creative software settings

Photosh Illustrator InDesign

op

Photo Designer Publisher

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 ALWAYS preserve embedded profiles

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CMYK Working Space

GRACoL 2013
(CGATS21_CRPC6)
www.idealliance.org

Note: working
spaces are ignored
on images with
assigned profiles

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 CMYK Working Space

GRACoL 2013
(CGATS21_CRPC6)
www.idealliance.org

Note: working
spaces are ignored
on images with
assigned profiles

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NEVER use Custom CMYK !!!

Crude 1980’s
Postscript tool
Ignore anyone
who teaches it!

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 Custom CMYK tool
179 x less accurate than an ICC profile !!
9 Lab values
1617 Lab values

1617
÷ 9
= 179

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RGB Working Space

§ Should be equal to or larger than LITTLE-KNOWN FACT

BOTH… The “Working space” is
§ The OUTPUT device (press) only used if there’s no
embedded profile.
AND… Otherwise it does NOT
§ The INPUT device (e.g. camera) restrict color gamut

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 sRGB

Offset press

sRGB

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Adobe RGB (1998)

Adobe RGB

Offset press

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 Digital SLR gamut vs Adobe RGB

DSLR / film

Adobe RGB

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ProPhoto RGB

DSLR / film

ProPhotoRGB

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 ProPhoto RGB Danger Zone

Only for 16-

“Illegal” RGB bit / channel
values (non-CIE) images

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Biggest CIE-Legal RGB Space

BestRGB
Only for real
free at color geeks !
www.hutchcolor.com

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 Example of RGB clipping
Edited in BestRGB Edited in Adobe RGB

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Example of RGB Clipping

Smooth reds in BestRGB Plugged reds in Adobe RGB

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 Example of RGB Clipping
Green channel BestRGB Green channel Adobe RGB

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Custom Camera
Profiling
For critical product matching, fine art
reproduction, etc.

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 Camera to Print Workflow

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Camera profiling (should you?)

§ Essential - fine-art reproduction

§ Advisable - products & catalogs
§ Optional - sport, editorial, portraits
WARNING: camera profiling is not as
easy as it looks
Can be negated by lighting, camera
settings, etc.

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 Camera profiling variables:

§ Camera settings
§ Type of profiling target
§ Lighting (color and spectral quality)
§ Evenness of target illumination
§ Reflections on target

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Optimum camera settings for print

§ Resolution:
Maximum possible # pixels
§ ISO:
Lowest practical
§ White Balance:
Manual or custom
§ Exposure:
Manual or “Program”

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 “Picture Style” (name differs by make)

§ Contrast:
Minimum
§ Saturation:
Minimum
§ Sharpness:
Minimum or zero
§ Images should look a little flat

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File export / import

§ Format:
Raw (not JPEG)
§ Bit depth:
16 bits/channel (48 bit)
Not 8 bits/channel (24 bits)

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 Camera profile variables: lighting

§ It’s not just color temperature

§ Light source spectrum affects
metamerism failure

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Camera profile variables: target type

IT8.7/1 (Kodak Q-60) X-Rite ColorChecker HutchColor HCT

§ No target contains all of life’s pigments and dyes

§ A camera profile is really a “target” profile
§ For critical work, manual color tweaks may be needed

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 Illumination evenness

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Avoiding reflections

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 Best input profiling software on Earth

basICColor input 6 Class-leading

features for
commercial, fine-art
and scientific
photographers

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Quick Camera
Profiling Demo

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 Special pricing for today’s attendees
(All I get is a German beer for this!)

§ Order from:
basICColor input 6
kk@colormanagement.org
§ Coupon code:
“Hutch”
§ basICColor input: $550
(MSRP $625)
§ Input pro: $700
(MSRP $800)

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Camera re-profiling frequency?

§ For general photography ...

One profile can last a lifetime, if made intelligently

§ Fine art repro, medical, catalog ...

Best to make a new profile per session

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 Camera/ scanner profiling guide

Free at www.hutchcolor.com

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Developing Raw
Camera Images

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 “Development”

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Developing raw camera images

§ Adobe Camera Raw (Photoshop)

§ Phase One Capture One

§ Adobe Light Room

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 Using DCP profiles

§ Apply your own custom camera profile directly on input

via Adobe Camera Raw

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Using DCP (digital camera profiles)

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 Using DCP (digital camera profiles)

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Using DCP (digital camera profiles)

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 Soft Proofing

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How soft proofing works

Press profile Monitor profile

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 Photoshop's Proof Colors command

§ Mac...
Command + Y
§ PC...
Control + Y
§ Shows approximately
how an RGB image will
print in the the default
CMYK Working Space
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Photoshop's Proof Colors command

Original RGB Simulated CMYK Print

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 Accurate Photoshop soft proofing

§ Proof Colors only gives an approximate soft proof

§ Can exaggerate contrast and saturation
§ Doesn't show paper color
§ High-quality soft-proofing requires a bit more effort

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Accurate RGB Soft Proofing

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 Accurate RGB Soft Proofing

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Accurate RGB Soft Proofing

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 Accurate RGB Soft Proofing

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Accurate CMYK soft-proofing

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 Comparing soft proof to an actual print

53
§ Totally affected by ambient lighting
§ Not safe without custom equipment
!
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Simulated print

Dimmable D50 booth

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 No viewing booth?

§ Without a visual reference, how do you judge ...

Exposure?
Contrast?
Color balance?
§ Simple: make the monitor the white reference

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 57 Copyright © 2020 HutchColor.com

Donz white border trick

§ Enlarges canvas to 125%

§ Creates a pure white border
inside the image
RGB or CMYK
§ DonzRGBactions
free at www.hutchcolor.com

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 Undo border after viewing!

§ Reduces canvas to 80%

(Back to original size)

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Soft Proofing in
Photoshop (demo)

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 The RGB Workflow

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Safe editing rules

§ Stay in RGB - send in RGB
CMYK is a lousy, out-dated retouching space
RGB preserves the value of edits better
§ Photographers: stay in 16 bits (if possible)
§ Only judge color on a profiled monitor
§ Keep edits in ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
Don’t flatten unless absolutely necessary
§ Always EMBED the PROFILE when saving
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 Open Image in Photoshop
§ Accept embedded profile (if present)

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No embedded profile?
§ Assign custom profile (if known)
Edit - Assign Profile

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 Unknown profile?
§ Assign whatever profile looks best to you
sRGB, Adobe RGB etc.

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Which profile do you prefer?

DonRGB AdobeRGB sRGB

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 RGB color editing workflow

§ Make changes in
Adjustment Layers
Lightness, cast, etc.

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RGB color editing workflow

§ Keep layers in Groups

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 Adjustment layer modes

§ Fabulously powerful
§ My favorites in green

§ Bottom 4 act like LCH

Hue
Saturation (Chroma)
Color (Hue plus Chroma)
Luminosity (Lightness)

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CIELCH – the intuitive color space

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 Lightness normal

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Lightness (+)

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 Lightness (–)

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Lightness doesn’t alter chroma or hue

Normal L + L –

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 Chroma normal

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Chroma (+)

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 Chroma (–)

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Chroma doesn’t alter lightness or hue

Normal C + C –

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 Hue angle normal

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Hue angle (+)

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 Hue angle (–)

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Hue doesn’t alter lightness or chroma

Normal H + H –

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 Converting vs.
Assigning
The most asked color management question

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Assigning a profile
§ Changes image
appearance but not pixel
values (RGB or CMYK)
§ Defines how the image
will look when converted

Model: Kelsy Stokes

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 Assigning a profile
§ Changes image
appearance but not pixel
values (RGB or CMYK)
§ Defines how the image
will look when converted

Model: Kelsy Stokes

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Assigning a profile
§ Changes image
appearance but not pixel
values (RGB or CMYK)
§ Defines how the image
will look when converted

Model: Kelsy Stokes

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 Converting to a profile

§ Maintains image color –

changes pixel values
§ Prepares the file to look
right on a new device

Model: Kelsy Stokes

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How do I ”apply" a profile?

Input Ouput

§ You can’t “apply” just one profile

§ It takes two profiles to do
anything
§ “Applying a profile” is like the
sound of one hand clapping

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 Rendering Intents

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Rendering Intents

§ Perceptual
§ Saturation
§ Absolute colorimetric
§ Relative colorimetric
Adobe modification: "Black point compensation"

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 Perceptual intent

§ "Pleasing color” at expense of critical accuracy

§ Uses profile's built-in "gamut compression”
§ Not recommended for highly accurate color

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Saturation intent

§ Maximizes saturation at cost of hue accuracy

Seldom used by anyone because color is too unpredictable

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 Absolute Colorimetric intent

§ Matches all colors as accurately as possible

§ Used in proofing to simulate paper color
Proof paper must be equal or brighter than simulated paper
Proofer must have equal or greater color gamut
§ CAUTION: Out-of-gamut colors and tones may clip or
plug without warning
§ Not recommended for normal production work

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Relative Colorimetric intent

§ Same as Absolute except all colors are shifted to match

the input and output profiles' white points
§ Used in proofing when proof paper is same color as
simulation profile
§ Also used to preserve original image contrast
But only if output space has equal or greater gamut and
contrast

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 Relative with Black Point Compensation

§ Developed by Adobe - free to industry

✓
§ Modifies Relative intent to match both profiles' black
points as well as white points
§ Recommended default for RGB conversion, except with
extremely saturated originals

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Working with Spot

Colors

Controlling a brand color

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 Specifying Pantone© colors

§ IGNORE published CMYK %

Not based on standard printing
§ Specify the color by name
But books can vary by 5-10 dE !!!
§ Better: supply an actual chip
Printer measures it
§ Best: CxF (very high-end solution)
hellowonderful.co

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Matching spot colors via CxF

§ Color eXchange Format

§ Spectral data embedded in document
§ More accurate matching with different inks, substrates
and lighting
§ Important for packaging, or when printing the same
item on different media and printing systems

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 Simulating spot colors in CMYK

§ In Photoshop, assign the printer profile (e.g. GRACoL) to

an image
§ Select your desired color in Color Picker
§ Photoshop displays best CMYK values
§ (But affected by profile's GCR amount)

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Picking a color

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 Out-of gamut example
Gamut warning

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In Gamut Example
Gamut OK

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 Secrets of Success
Getting the most out of color management
without a science degree

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Secrets of success for creatives

§ Accurate monitor profile

§ Good application settings
§ Honor the embedded profile
§ Edit photos in RGB, not CMYK
§ Verify EVERY hard-copy proof
§ Only view under standard D50 lighting
§ When in doubt, ask your printer

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 Main causes of color error
§ Un-profiled monitors
§ Out-of-gamut colors
§ Using the wrong profile
§ Process variation
§ Incorrect lighting (metamerism failure)
§ Inaccurate proofs
§ Unrealistic expectations
.
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Managing
Expectations

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 Reality check

§ ALL printing systems vary to some extent

§ A proof is a “simulation” of a perfect press
§ Every press run is slightly different
§ Evaluating “quality” is not an exact science
§ Quality is proportional to price
§ Color is subjective – quality can be personal

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The secret to color happiness

§ Printing today is INFINITELY better than 20 years ago

Thanks to ICC color management (and a little help from
Photoshop, digital cameras and fast computers)
§ But even with the best equipment and QC procedures,
certain variables limit what it’s reasonable to expect
§ The secret to color happiness is understanding these
variables, doing your best to control them, and learning
to live with those you can't

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 Have we learned anything?

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Learning more

D on’t clic
k this
button!

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 Thank you for
attending!
Click to edit Master subtitle style

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