Color profiles

EC
Posted By
Edward_Claiborne
Jul 21, 2004
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235
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7
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Closed
Hi, my question on color profiles is in two parts. One, am I correct in understanding that all devises and software programs should use the same color profile to achieve constancy from input or creation to output? Two, if so do you chose a color profile from the list in Photoshop first and then have all other software, printers and monitor all use the same profile?

Any input is appreciated, thanks.
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J
Jim
Jul 21, 2004
wrote in message
Hi, my question on color profiles is in two parts. One, am I correct in
understanding that all devises and software programs should use the same color profile to achieve constancy from input or creation to output? No.

Create a profile for your monitor, profiles for each scanner, and profiles for each printer. It is better to have separate profiles for each paper and ink combination.

Load the monitor profile using one of the many ways to perform this task. Load the scanner profile as instructed by the creation software. Load the printer profiles in photoshop; disable color management in the printer driver.

Jim
BB
brent_bertram
Jul 21, 2004
Edward,
Not true at all. Every device should have its own unique profile which accurately describes the color characteristics of its images. The system color engine then can accurately convert an image as it passes from one colorspace to another ( e.g. from scanner, to monitor, to printer ). Ian Lyons Image Flow < http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.lyons/ps7-colour/ps7_color.gi f>

Take a look at this tutorial, and perhaps peruse the whole site. There is a lot to learn .

<http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps7-colour/ps7_1.htm> .

For the second part of your question, besides device-specific profiles, like for a scanner or a printer/ink/paper combo , there are device independent profiles ( sRGB, AdobeRGB, ColormatchRGB, etc ) which are typically used as an "editting" colorspace , depending upon the eventual end use of the image. Typically you would have your working colorspace in Photoshop set to one of these spaces.

🙂

Brent
L
LenHewitt
Jul 22, 2004
If it helps you in any way here is my short "idiot’s guide to CM" <g>

The numbers in an image file do not represent specific colours. For example, 100R, 0G, 0B just means "make the brightest, most saturated red you can". It doesn’t mean a specific SHADE of red, and the red that will result will depend upon the capabilities of the device the data is being sent to (usually either a monitor or printer of some sort).

Only when coupled with an ICC profile that describes the ‘colour space’ do those numbers represent a specific shade.

There is data in a file. That data doesn’t represent specific colours UNTIL the colour space is stated (embedded profile or assign profile).

The working profile sets up the colour space you are working in, and the embedded profile allows the CM engine to convert the file data values to your working space values so those values still represent the same colour as originally indicated by the file data and embedded profile.

The monitor profile alters that data from your working space on the fly to allow the monitor to display the colours represented by the data within the working space profile.

When you print, the output profile alters the data to allow the printer to reproduce the colours represented by the data and the image profile.

The monitor profile effectively drops out of the equation when you print.

Provided the ‘translation’ from working space to monitor is correct AND the translation from working space to output device is correct, the print will match the monitor.

However, only if the translation from embedded profile to working space is also correct will the monitor and print also match the original file intentions.

For a fuller explanation, spend some 15 minutes or so over at http://www.computer-darkroom.com
TR
Terry_Relph-Knight
Jul 22, 2004
As far as I can see (no pun intended) there’s something about colour management that is very rarely mentioned, but that can really baffle people who are just starting to learn about it.
That is – that you often WONT BE ABLE TO MATCH COLOURS from input to output. This is because you’re starting with a product of human perception. Colour is a product of the human visual system (not everyone sees colours in the same way – a fair portion of people are partially colour blind). In any case an ‘average’ person can ‘see’ a larger range of colours than any of the devices like cameras, scanners, monitors and printers that we currently use, can sense or reproduce. In addition the range, or gamut, of colours most printers can reproduce is far smaller than input devices like cameras and scanners can capture.
So you can think of the image capture, display and reproduce chain as a gradually narrowing funnel, with a smaller range of colours available coming out than go in (it’s not quite that simple).
This means that colour management cannot provide a totally automatic fix, where once its set up right, perfect prints always come out of the end of the process. What it can do is give you the user, control over what’s going on and allow you to see colour changes at each stage of the process. You can then make informed corrections to get the best colour possible.
And yes I’m using the proper ‘English’ spelling for colour 8->>
BB
brent_bertram
Jul 22, 2004
"Colour" <G> , Since I know Len and Ian will agree with you, who am I to argue?

🙂
MO
Mike_Ornellas
Jul 22, 2004
oh,

I just don’t know who would.
EC
Edward_Claiborne
Jul 22, 2004
Thanks to everyone for your input. The websites cleared things up. I now feel I understand how to achieve consistent color in the work flow.

Ian Lyons, thank-you for such a helpful website.

Edward

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