CHROMiX ColorNews Issue #11 - Color Management Myths 6-10 |
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============================================================= C H R O M i X C O L O R N E W S
Issue #11 =============================================================
** We've taken over ProfileCity to become the largest profiling service, details below.
** It's Back!!!! The FREE Eye-One Display promotion continues through June
** '5 More Color Management Myths', an article written by CHROMiX ==================================================================== Table of Contents =================
1. CHROMiX News ==================================================================== CHROMiX News ================
Since our last ColorNews issue (December 2003) many things have happened at
CHROMiX is 5!
We are excited to announce that we assumed ICS's ProfileCity custom profiling service.
** Steve Upton will be speaking at the following events:
March 10th, 7:00PM. Pixel Printers, Seattle, WA. Update on latest trends in
July 2004. Steve will be speaking at MACWORLD Boston, MA. Seminar times and
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Color & Product News
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Fujifilm introduced ColourKit Profiler Suite 4.0 at PMA Las Vegas, NV.
X-Rite, Inc. announced its Monaco OPTIX(XR) has been awarded Photo
In PC World's round up review, X-Rite's Monaco OPTIX(XR) was compared with
New ProfileMaker 5 software is now packaged in three vertically focused solutions: ProfileMaker Photostudio, Publish and Packaging. All three are profiling and editing compliant with version 4 ICC specifications and are projected to ship by end of March 2004.
Here are the highlights of each:
- ProfileMaker Photostudio includes LCD/CRT monitor calibration/profiling, RGB, CMYK, Hexachrome(r) and CMYK+Red/Blue output device profiling, enhanced Color Picker module, the newly reformulated Digital Camera Module and Digital ColorChecker SC (semi-gloss).
- ProfileMaker Publish includes LCD/CRT monitor calibration/profiling, RGB, CMYK, Hexachrome and CMYK+Red/Blue output device profiling, enhanced Color Picker and Measure Tool modules plus a new Adobe PhotoShop plug-in that supports multicolor separations and soft & hard-copy proofing. There are also new process control functions that enable working with gradation curves, dot gain and optical density measurements. Also includes new and extended gamut mapping capabilities and a new test chart generator with which users can generate custom test charts optimized for individual output devices.
- ProfileMaker Packaging was developed for packaging and textile printing applications. It includes all of the modules and other features included with ProfileMaker 5 Publish plus a new Multicolor module that supports a limitless n-color multi-color profile generation for up to 10 channels. Also included is a new generic output profiling technology that lets users replace inks in existing profiles instead of making new test charts and re-measuring/re-profiling to avoid times and costs of recreation of plates, cylinders etc. for new test charts. Instead, it is possible to take a spectral measurement of a new color and integrate it into an existing profile - a must for the packaging industry where colors change frequently.
Also new from GretagMacbeth is a New DeviceLink Module for ProfileMaker 5 that has a new Preserve Black function as well as Clean Black and Clean Primary options for RGB/CMYK workflows. It can automatically adopt ink coverages and tailor DeviceLink profile generation to specific needs. Inks can also be saved by redefining the separation data without losing the overall characteristics of a device. Projected to also ship by end of March.
Adobe Systems Incorporated announced a new Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop(R) CS, extending raw file support to 14 additional digital camera models. Available as a free download from Adobe's Web site, the plug-in builds on the raw file functionality integrated in Photoshop CS, adding new support for digital cameras from leading manufacturers such as Fujifilm, Kodak, Leaf, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony. It can be downloaded for free by going to the Adobe Web site at
SHOWS & EVENTS
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March 5-8 Professional Photographers of Oregon Convention & Trade Show at the Embassy Suites in Tigard, OR. For more information go to
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ColorFAQs
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Each month, our President Steve Upton will take time to answer questions
As there seems to be no end of strange color management advice offered these days, it seemed like a good idea to dispel a few more myths we've run across recently.
Please see ColorNews Issue #9 for the first 5 myths:
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Not true! although it helps....
Seriously, color management still isn't quite at the "cookbook" stage - where you can just press buttons and it all works - but it is getting close. We regularly sell and install monitor calibrators, profiles and other color management gear in clients who don't really want to know too much about it - and they're happy with the results.
Those who have entered into the world of color management will agree that the water is very deep. There seems to be no limit to how much you can learn and how far you can go in the pursuit of "perfect color".
Rest assured though, you can get into color management and take control of your imaging without breaking either your bank account or your brain!
While this seems to be happening less often as in the past, a recent article in a popular photo magazine article contained this dubious piece of advice.
If you set Photoshop to use your monitor profile as your working space, all new RGB documents will be created using your monitor profile as their gamut definition. This is a bad idea for a handful of reasons:
1. All colors will be limited to the gamut of your monitor. As all ColorThink users know, the gamut of your monitor (and sRGB for that matter) tends to be smaller than that of most output systems. Inkjets, presses and photographic output methods typically contain cyans, greens, yellows and even some reds and magentas that monitors cannot display. Photoshop 5 and later versions effectively disconnected your RGB file from your display, allowing non-displayable colors to pass through Photoshop and be printed. This is a good thing, don't undo it.
2. Each time your re-profile your display you will have a different working space. Color management is enough of a moving target without changing your working space every 2-4 weeks (you are re-profiling every 2-4 weeks right?).
3. Exchanging files with your monitor profile embedded will cause confusion. The reactions from people who receive files with embedded profiles range from "wha?" to "amateur!". As mentioned in past ColorNews newsletters, when you exchange files with other people you should convert to standard color spaces such as Adobe RGB (1998), sRGB and so forth. Refer to ColorNews issue #8
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This falls in the "When in doubt, be very very safe" realm. All rendering in Photoshop 4 was relative colorimetric so any out-of-gamut colors were clipped. One of the benefits of Photoshop 5's inclusion of ICC technology was the availability of the perceptual rendering intent. Almost overnight, anyone who grasped ICC profile use was recommending the perceptual intent for photographic images and relative colorimetric for spot colors. In fact, some applications go as far as calling the perceptual intent the "photo" intent.
I think a little rendering intent background would help here...
When an ICC profile is calculated, the color conversions are "hard wired" into its internal tables. This means that the gamut-shrinking capabilities of the perceptual intent are built without any idea of any actual image content. It is a sort of "generic" conversion that is intended to work for any image.
Trouble is, if you have an image that is entirely in-gamut for your printer and you choose the perceptual intent, your image will be desaturated unnecessarily. The can range from a barely noticeable shift of near-neutrals to a significant dulling of saturated colors.
Configure Photoshop's Proof Setup with your printer profile. Then invoke the gamut warning (shift-command-Y Mac or shift-control-Y Win) prior to converting your file. If you see a bunch of out-of-gamut colors in important areas of your image, choose the perceptual intent when you print. If few colors seem affected, chances are that relative colorimetric (with black point compensation ON) is a better choice for your image.
"Use perceptual for shrinking your gamut in a friendly way, relative colorimetric for color accuracy and absolute colorimetric for proofing. Don't bother with saturation unless your doing business graphics like graphs"
This has been the line about rendering intents that has been passed around a lot. I have to admit that I had been one of the ones passing around until a few years ago when I started to actually test the saturation intent of profiles we were building.
Most profiling software creates the saturation rendering intent in the same manner as the perceptual intent. So the most likely time you will want to use it is if you are shrinking the gamut of your image and you want to retain details in out-of-gamut colors. In our experiments we've found that the saturation intent will map out-of-gamut colors to brighter and cleaner colors rather that more accurate ones. The color shifting performed by the saturation intent will differ between different profiling packages so your results may vary.
At any rate, if you are not satisfied by the saturation in your profile's perceptual rendering intent, give the saturation intent a try. You may be pleasantly surprised by the results.
We build a lot of profiles here at CHROMiX and with the assumption of ProfileCity's profiling business we expect to build a lot more. A big part of building profiles for people is supporting them. It's something we feel differentiates us from the rest.
One question that seems to crop up regularly in our support team is that of the "freshness" of profiles. People call to ask how long their profile will last or to explain a problem and wonder if their profile has gone bad.
Profiles are hermetically sealed, antibacterial, non-fungal, disease resistant, fade-proof, rust-proof, colorfast little wonders. That is (I guess it needs to be said) they do not undergo any change as they sit on your hard drive and will not experience wear and tear even with years of use.
The devices they represent however, are a totally different matter. If your profile worked well one day and then poorly the next, something in the path to (or from) that device has changed. Most problems seem to arise from a change in consumables. Other common problems include updated software or a maintenance issue - like clogged inkjets with a printer.
When your print profile was first built, a certain CMYK/RGB combination produced a certain Lab color. All the profile knows is that relationship and if anything changes the color produced, then the profile is no longer appropriate for the printer.
There are some cases where all the testing of a profile was with a certain image type so the entire capability of the profile/device was never tested. A similar thing can occur when, for example, a CMYK profile is successfully used for proofing and months later, when the profile is used for separations, a problem shows up. In both these cases the flaw was always present in the profile and incomplete testing lead the user to believe it was a good profile when in fact it was not...
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Well, that's another 5 myths. Even as I wrote this article I remembered new ones so keep a lookout for future issue to cover new and interesting color management misunderstandings. As always, feel free to send us some feedback or questions for future ColorNews newsletters.
Steve Upton
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CHROMiX ColorNews Issue #12 - Profiling Overhead Displays |
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============================================================= C H R O M i X C O L O R N E W S
Issue #12 =============================================================
** The transition of ProfileCity into CHROMiX is complete. All ProfileCity.com web requests are directed to a special section on our site and we continue to offer customers the same great profiling packages using the same ICS technologies that ProfileCity customers are accustomed to. Some changes to the service include: all services post-paid - no need to buy a profile to download the kit, CHROMiX industry-leading 100% price guarantee extended to new ProfileCity profiles, expanded profile naming - no longer cryptic numbers, all ProfileCity profiles have longer meaningful names. Please contact us if you have any questions or comments. ** BEAMER WEEK! Buy an Eye-One Photo or Eye-One Publish during the week of April 26 - 30 Only, and get a FREE BEAMER Upgrade and Storage Case. And yes, you can combine the FREE Eye-One Display deal (below) as well. See details below. ** It's still here!!!! The very popular FREE Eye-One Display promotion continues through June 30, 2004. See details below. ** 'Calibration & Profiling of Overhead Display Systems', an article written by CHROMiX President Steve Upton that you'll want to read. ==================================================================== Table of Contents =================
1. CHROMiX News ==================================================================== CHROMiX News ================ Since our last ColorNews issue (December 2003) many things have happened at CHROMiX that are worth mentioning: Our ColorThink software has been awarded the "Best Graphic Design Software" winner from Real Software. Software packages built using their development tools were eligible for the award and were judged on excellence in design, functionality and most complete adoption of advanced technologies. We are honored to awarded this recognition and happy that ColorThink is receiving this recognition. CHROMiX has formally joined the Color Management Group, a consortium of the top Color Management experts in North America. The Color Management Group has associates from coast to coast USA. We are excited to be a part of a larger circle of minds and talent!
CHROMiX's integration of ICS's ProfileCity custom profiling operations has gone much better and faster than expected. CHROMiX ColorValet profiling service is now the largest profiling service in the world!! However, you won't catch us standing on our laurels. We are still extremely obsessed with making the best custom profiles in the world for each and every customer. We look forward to an opportunity to prove this to you! Here's the original news release:
The very popular FREE Eye-One Display promotion from CHROMiX continues and gets better!!
If you're a CHROMiX Partner and have not received your commission check, or if you feel that the check is incorrect, please let us know. We want your feedback so we can evolve this into a world class program for you.
** Steve Upton will be speaking at the following events:
July 15, 2004, 2PM - 3:15PM. Steve will be speaking at MACWORLD Boston, MA.
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Color & Product News
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GretagMacbeth has set the release of ProfileMaker version 5 profiling and color management software to May 15,2004. We at CHROMiX have been beta testing ProfileMaker for GretagMacbeth and are excited about the new features including custom target generation, enhanced multi-color profile and a significant upgrade to the camera profiling module. Expect the release information posted in the next issue of ColorNews.
The makers ColorBlind are looking to re-invigorate the entire product line. Quik Pix, Inc. (QPI), a division of Dalrada Financial Corporation (DRDF), has apparently hired additional applications engineers, software programmers and customer support personnel.
Pantone and ColorVision released ColorPlus, a $119 package targeted at home users that includes a sensor and a wizard-guided software that steps the user through simple monitor calibration. This new calibration package is only available for Windows and does not allow the user to set gamma, white point or offer any PreCal function. While we recommend the 6500K white point and 2.2 gamma it uses as defaults, the omission of the PreCal ability - where you can tune your monitor to get it close to the desired white point - is a significant omission. We are in the process of evaluating this package.ColorVision is focusing it on the home-user market and we suggest that it is not appropriate for professional or photo enthusiast use.
There's a very entertaining article by Eamon Hickey that focuses on the Digital Workflow implemented by Sports Illustrated for Super Bowl XXXVIII at the Rob Galbraith Digital Photography website. Although the color management portion is one small paragraph on page 3, this is a very good and realistic read for Photographers of all walks.
Tech Notes
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CHROMiX ColorNews articles are a useful resource for technical information. In every issue is an article that usually covers a technical topic of merit to users. ColorNews articles are archived and available for your FREE access at
Overheard on the ColorSync mailing list:
If you are having trouble with an Epson 2200/2100 printer under Mac OS X it may be due to the Gimp-Print driver which is the default driver under OS X v10.3. Some users are funding success in trouble-shooting the problem by removing the Gimp_print driver and installing the drivers that come on the CD included with the printer.
Several Mac OS X users have asked us how to understand the impact of the GIMP print driver in their system. One of the best places for this information is the Gimp-Print website. You will find the ESP Ghostscript version 7.05.6, the Gimp-Print un-installer and many technical and support links and pages available:
Also:
Many people have asked us what reference material we recommend. As a desk side technical reference, 'Real World Color Management' from Bruce Fraser and Chris Murphy is the 'go to' standard in the industry (about $39).
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SHOWS & EVENTS
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May 6 - 19, 2004 DRUPA, Duesseldorf, Germany, is the largest Print show in the world. DRUPA is undeniably considered the mecca for anything print related.
May 10, 2004, The Professional Workflow Digital Workshops with Will Crockett have been a great value for all attendees. The best value is that these events have been FREE. The last stop and end of the tour is in Chicago on May 10, 2004.
May 27, Portland, OR. Pacific Northwest Color Management Users Group, is excited and proud to present Barry Haynes, author of numerous articles and the highly acclaimed Photoshop Artistry series. Barry will show techniques including effective work environment organization, Color correction, masking, use of color spaces, and some new insights on monitor and printer calibration! This lecture event is 5/27/04 at 6:00PM at The Oregonian. For more information and event registration go to:
June 17 - 19, 2004 Guttenberg Festival. Long Beach Convention Center, CA. Now in its 32nd year, this annual Southern California event is the hot spot for graphic design, digital prepress, printing, publishing converting and digital equipment professionals. Over 200 exhibitors will be on-hand to display products on over 60,000 net sq feet.
July 12 - 15, MacWorld, Boston, MA. Everything for the Mac devoted. East Coast style. Steve Upton will be speaking.
July 15 - 17, InDesign 2004, Boston, MA. Get personal with the world's premier experts, authors, trainers, and third party developers for 3 days of unparalleled Adobe InDesign training, tips, techniques and networking.
October 10 - 13, 2004 GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO at McCormick Place
October 24 28, 2004, XPLOR 2004, 25th Global Electronic Document Systems Conference & Exhibition at Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, TX.
January 10 - 14, MacWorld San Francisco, CA. Everything for the Mac devoted. West Coast style.
March 17-19, 2005 Graphic Arts 2005. Charlotte Convention Center, NC. This recent trade show and conference brought in thousands of industry professionals from the Southern USA. View the many highlights of the 2003 show edition and sign up to be reminded of the next show in Charlotte, NC.
September 9-15, 2005 PRINT '05 at McCormick Place Complex, Chicago, IL Because of its mammoth size and international presence, PRINT occurs only every four years and will take the place of GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO in 2005.
ColorFAQs
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Each month, our President Steve Upton will take time to answer questions we receive on a regular basis. If you have specific questions or comments, please see below for how to make submissions.
Yes in fact, it can. With the right equipment and software you can calibrate and profile your overhead display system. It makes a considerable difference as well. Neutrals look neutral, correct saturation stops your images from looking washed out or artificially punchy. The hues of important colors like logos also look correct. This is especially important if your presentation includes your client's logo and other corporate colors.
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In North America a "beamer" is what yuppies call their BMW. In Europe a "beamer" is the common nickname for an overhead projector system. In Color Management a Beamer is an overhead calibration system from GretagMacbeth. As far as we have been able to determine, it is the only overhead display calibration and profiling solution offered on the market today.
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Well, it is similar to calibrating your monitor with a little more setup. Basically you connect your computer to the overhead display projector and set it up like normal. Make sure you have the contrast and brightness set the way you like and the image is clear and stable. Then you attach the Eye-One spectrophotometer to a small stand that allows you to aim it at your overhead system's screen. A small white dot appears on the screen allowing you to fine-tune the spectro's positioning. Then the calibration and profiling proceeds in a similar (if somewhat larger) fashion to monitor calibration.
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Pretty much, yes. Just like your monitor, the curves in your computer's graphic card are adjusted until the screen shows the desired white point and gamma. Then an additional series of colors is measured to build a profile characterizing the system. The calibration curves are embedded into the profile and it is saved and set as your system's profile. All this is just like a conventional display profile.
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As mentioned above, it neutralizes neutrals, calibrates white point and gamma and, when an application uses the profile, helps display correct hues & saturation.
From a bigger-picture perspective, it helps you make your point. It makes your image more professional and your competitors wonder what they're missing.
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Not typically. Just like a conventional monitor, calibration and profiling of a display system involves the display AND the graphics card in the CPU. The combination of the two is what's calibrated. The overhead display system will behave differently connected to a different CPU and so each combination needs to be calibrated separately. This is one of the first questions we typically hear. If the CPUs are very similar (like the same model PowerBook, for instance) then you may get away with it. In most cases however, it's time to re-calibrate.
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If you have a monitor connected to your computer in addition to the overhead display then you may want each of them calibrated.
You can calibrate & profile each if:
- your monitor and the overhead display are connected to different graphics cards (for Mac or Windows) or a two-headed graphics card (Mac).
You can NOT calibrate & profile each if:
- your CPU is connected to the overhead display with the same cable as it is connected to a monitor.
If you can't, calibrate the overhead and live with the other display looking a bit "off" while you present. Select your regular display profile when your presentation's over to return to normal (Windows systems will require a reboot to load the correct calibration tables).
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DVD player software is not color managed. That doesn't mean that calibration won't improve your display however. Setting a desirable white point, fixing the gamma curves of each RGB channel to 2.2 and nailing down your grays will all help raise the quality of your DVD playback.
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Photoshop and other applications that can use a display profile will go the extra step of ensuring that color hue and saturation will be as correct as display gamut will allow.
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That's a good question. If the presentation package is color aware like Safari, then you have no worries. It will color manage your images for great display quality. For PowerPoint users on Windows, GretagMacbeth includes a plug-in that allows the color management of images within your presentations.
Thanks for reading,
Steve Upton
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