Color Management For Photographers Getting the Color You Expect 2006 Kevin Connery 1
Goals Enable the photographer to establish an effective their workflow of digital photographic color. 2006 Kevin Connery 2
Content What Will Be Covered What Will Not be Covered 2006 Kevin Connery 3
Content What Will Be Covered Concepts behind CM Monitor, Camera, Printer Calibration Photoshop Settings Fine-tuning for output 2006 Kevin Connery 4
Content What Will Not Be Covered Color Correction 2006 Kevin Connery 5
Myths vs Reality Common Myths The (Current) Reality 2006 Kevin Connery 6
Common Myths WYSIWYG Color Management guarantees good color Color Management is foolproof 2006 Kevin Connery 7
Reality CM can provide predictable color CM can be somewhat tricky to set up CM can be easy to use once set up CM is NOT perfect 2006 Kevin Connery 8
Terms and Definitions Color Model Color Space Gamut Metamerism Calibration Profile CMM 2006 Kevin Connery 9
Color Model A general way to represent colors using numbers Common Color Models include RGB CMY CMYK LAB HSB 2006 Kevin Connery 10
Color Space A particular interpretation of a color model. Not all Color Spaces can represent the same range of colors Many different Color Spaces are used in RGB and CMYK A Working Space is a color space that is used for editing. Good choices for working spaces include Adobe RGB(1998) and srgb. 2006 Kevin Connery 11
Gamut The range of colors, including brightness, intensity, saturation, hue, etc, that can be represented or reproduced by a particular color space or device. 2006 Kevin Connery 12
Metamerism The situation where two colors that look the same under one lighting condition but different under another lighting condition Some inkjet printers exhibit this Common real-world examples include Flash photographs of UV-brightened fabric (Bridal gowns) Ultraviolet light ( Blacklight ) 2006 Kevin Connery 13
Calibration Setting a device to a known state or behavior A necessary step in getting predictable color 2006 Kevin Connery 14
Profile OR A description of how a device behaves A description of how a given color space looks Creating a profile for a device is sometimes also called characterizing A necessary step in getting predictable color 2006 Kevin Connery 15
CMM Color Management Module The program that will do the actual color conversions. Selecting Automatic will give random results. ACE is available on Mac and Windows, and works with all Adobe products Heidelberg is available on Mac and Windows There are many others 2006 Kevin Connery 16
How It Works Theory and Overview The Nitty Gritty 2006 Kevin Connery 17
Theory and Overview Everything talks to the CMS 2006 Kevin Connery 18
The Nitty Gritty Profiles at the OS level Monitors and Displays Input: Scanners and Cameras Working with files Output: Getting what you expect 2006 Kevin Connery 19
Profiles at the OS level Each Operating System keeps profiles in different places. Mac OS profiles are handled by ColorSync Windows profiles are handled by ICM Both do the same things 2006 Kevin Connery 20
Where Windows Profiles Hide Windows 98 Windows ME Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows\System\color Windows\System\color WinNT\System32\Spool\Drivers\Color WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\color 2006 Kevin Connery 21
Where Mac Profiles Hide Mac OS 9.x Mac OS X System Folder:Application Support System Folder:Preferences:ColorSync Profiles System Folder:ColorSync Profiles /System/Library/ColorSync/Profiles /Library/ColorSync/Profiles /Users/<username>/Library/ColorSync/Profiles (also called ~/Library/ColorSync/Profiles ) 2006 Kevin Connery 22
Monitors and Displays Monitors should be calibrated, preferably via a hardware tool, not just by eye. Environment where color will be checked should be consistent 2006 Kevin Connery 23
Input Scanners Cameras 2006 Kevin Connery 24
Scanning Scanning Prints Scanning Transparencies ( Chromes) Scanning Negatives 2006 Kevin Connery 25
Scanning Prints Scanners can be profiled using reflective IT-8 target and profiling software 2006 Kevin Connery 26
Scanning Transparencies Scanners can be profiled using IT-8 target and profiling software Each emulsion type should be profiled separately: K12, K14, E4, E6, etc. Ektachrome and Fujichrome generally don t need separate profiles. 2006 Kevin Connery 27
Scanning Negatives CM is of limited help 2006 Kevin Connery 28
Cameras Profiles Color Space Color Balance 2006 Kevin Connery 29
Working with Files Inside Adobe Photoshop Dealing with Profiles Defaults Intent Opening Files Converting to Profile vs Assign Profile Soft Proofing Saving Files 2006 Kevin Connery 30
Working with Files Photoshop Defaults Edit > Color Settings 2006 Kevin Connery 31
Working with Files Rendering Intent Saturation Absolute Colorimetric Perceptual Relative Colorimetric 2006 Kevin Connery 32
Rendering Intent Saturation Tries to keep vivid colors vivid, with little concern for accuracy of color. May change ALL the original colors Good for charts, maps, and graphs. Horrible for most photographs 2006 Kevin Connery 33
Rendering Intent Absolute Colorimetric White is made to look on-screen the way the paper looks, and other colors shift to keep colors in their relative places to that. Best for use in on-screen proofing. Can cause misinterpretation if other, truewhite objects exist on-screen in a different application or at the OS-level. 2006 Kevin Connery 34
Rendering Intents 2006 Kevin Connery 35
Rendering Intent Perceptual Tries to keep the overall appearance by shifting the entire input space to fit the output space, while adjusting to keep the relationship between colors the same. May change ALL the original colors Generally best if there are a lot of out-ofgamut colors (vivid blues in CMYK, for example) 2006 Kevin Connery 36
Rendering Intent Relative Colorimetric Paper white is white on screen, and all other colors shift to keep colors in their relative places to that. Best for photographs if few or only non-critical colors can t fit into the new colorspace. 2006 Kevin Connery 37
Photoshop: Opening Files How the file will appear and print depends on how Photoshop interprets it. 2006 Kevin Connery 38
Photoshop: Converting or Assigning Profiles How the file will appear and print depends on how Photoshop interprets it. 2006 Kevin Connery 39
Photoshop: Soft Proofing View > Proof Setup 2006 Kevin Connery 40
Photoshop: Saving Files File > Save File > Save As 2006 Kevin Connery 41
Output and Printers Inkjet Printers Dyesub Printers Remote printers your lab Remote printers offset printing (Brochures, flyers, etc.) 2006 Kevin Connery 42
Output: Inkjet Printers Color Managing an inkjet printer requires Printer Paper Inkset Profile for the above three 2006 Kevin Connery 43
Output: Printing from Photoshop File > Print with Preview Check Show More Options Switch to Color Management menu Set Print Space Click Print 2006 Kevin Connery 44
Output: Printing from Photoshop In Print Settings or Print Dialog, DISABLE Printer Color Management 2006 Kevin Connery 45
Output: Dye Sublimation Printers Color Managing a Dye Sub printer requires Printer Paper Transfer ribbon/paper Profile for the above three as a combination Printing from Photoshop is the same as for Inkjet printers 2006 Kevin Connery 46
Output: Remote Printers Using a lab-based printer (Lambda, Frontier, LightJet, etc.) requires A. Profile for the printer OR B. The lab does the conversion from a specified color space. OR C. The lab ignores color management, and they do the color corrections for you. 2006 Kevin Connery 47
Lab-based using Profiles Inside Photoshop Soft-proof using their profile. Adjust image to get optimum quality Convert file to desired Profile CS: Image > Mode > Convert to Profile CS2: Edit > Convert to Profile File > Save As and enable Embed profile option 2006 Kevin Connery 48
Lab-based: Specific Color Space Inside Photoshop If their color space isn t yours Image > Mode > Convert to Profile and convert to their requested color space. (CS2: Edit > Mode > Convert) File > Save As with or without Embed profile option NOTE: Don t mix this file up with your other files. 2006 Kevin Connery 49
Lab-based without CM They do the color adjustments for you. Advantages You don t have to remember anything we discussed today Disadvantages Only a few labs offer this, and they charge a premium for the service. You no longer control your own color. 2006 Kevin Connery 50
Color Management For Photographers Questions? 2006 Kevin Connery 51