Color Management For A Sign Maker An introduction to a very deep subject.
So Many Terms to remember Color Space Gamut ICC Color Profile RIP Software Preset Files/Media Settings Files Rendering Intents Linearization Tables Metamerism
Color Perception Three factors that influence our perception of color: 1. light source 2. object being viewed 3. observer (person)
Color Meters What do I need? Colorimeter Densitometer Spectrophotometer Why?
Why do I need a meter?
Why do I need a meter?
Brightness/Contrast
Brightness/Contrast
Brightness/Contrast 2
Brightness/Contrast 2
Focus on the white Dot
Stay focused on the White Dot
Color Contrast
Color Contrast
Color Contrast
Color Contrast
Color Meters What do I need? Colorimeter Densitometer Spectrophotometer Why? Software Capabilities Profile Monitors Linearize Printers Build Profiles Saving and Sharing those files Rip software that follows the ICC profile workflow
What is Color Management? In plain English this means using a scientific approach to match the colors in the original to the colors visible on the computer monitor, then to the proof, and ultimately to the printed page or any final output device.
Why do I care? Getting color to reproduce accurately and consistently without color management takes time with a lot of trial and error or a lot of experience or both. Proper Color management takes the guess work out of color reproduction and give you simple, accurate, consistent color matching from source to monitor to output. No guess work or trial and error involved though some experience is helpful.
Why Do I Care? Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent. Color improves readership as much as 40 percent. Color accelerates learning from 55 to 78 percent. Color increases comprehension by 73 percent. Color ads are read up to 42 percent more than similar ads in black and white. Color can be up to 85 percent of the reason people decide to buy.
What is a Color Space? Color space is really a means of defining color. It is a theoretical envelope that contains mathematical formulas for a distinct set of colors.
What is a Color Space? RGB/CMYK these are related to each other with RGB being the opposite of CMY (the K is really an after thought to correct practical problems in the theoretical model)
What is a Color Space? RGB Red Green Blue is the color space most commonly used by scanners, digital cameras, computer monitors and the human eye. This is a device dependant color space
What is a Color Space? CMYK Cyan Magenta Yellow black Most commonly used by inkjet printers, offset printers Easiest to relate to because we mixed colors in a similar fashion in preschool Red + Yellow = Orange This is also a device dependant color space.
What is a Color Space? Munsell, HSB, HLS, CIE, XYZ, LUV are all systems for defining color numerically. They may be referenced on occasion, but not used much in the sign industry. These are theoretical, non device dependant systems.
What is a Color Space? CIE LAB Broken down: CIE Comission Internationale de l Eclairage or International Commission on Illumination LAB L = Lightness, A axis is Red/Green, B axis is Yellow/Blue LAB is typically used as the Profile Connection Space (PCS)
What is a Color Space? CIE LAB Is the device independent color space that we use to translate between other color spaces.
Quiz Time What is Color Space? Name the 3 most important color spaces that a sign shop will be concerned with. What color space do monitors use? What color space would a CMYK printer use? What is the translator color space?
What is Metamerism? Metamerism is the characteristic of a color to look one shade under a light source and another shade under another light source.
What is Metamerism? Metamerism occurs because not all light sources are created equally. Here are some spectral readings of different common light sources compared to daylight: D65 Fluorescent Cool White Fluorescent Incandescent
What is Metamerism? If the spectral value of a color lies in a region of weak color in the light source that portion of the color will be reduced causing a shift in the perceived color. D65 Fluorescent Cool White Fluorescent Incandescent
What is a Gamut? Gamut is the range of colors that a device is capable of producing. Think of it as the pallet of colors available when you paint a picture.
What is a Gamut? Here you can see a couple of visual representations of what Gamut is. This is the color gamut of the Roland VersaCamm on Aspire 5 year gloss vinyl
What is a Gamut? This is comparing the gamut of Aspire to 3M IJ180 (On the VersaCamm) Basically the gamut is the total range of colors that a device is capable of producing.
How about CMYK vs. RGB? Here s a flat view of CMYK vs. RGB (generic gamuts) Here s the see through version Adobe RGB vs. SWOP CMYK
How about CMYK vs. RGB? Adobe RGB (the colored profile) vs. Aspire 5 yr gloss vinyl on the VersaCamm (CMYK).
Quiz Time What is Gamut? What color space has the largest gamut? What device dependant color space generally has the larger gamut?
What is an ICC Profile? Probably best described by comparing it to a city map. You wouldn t want to use a map of Portland to get around in Denver
What is an ICC Profile? ICC stands for International Color Consortium (www.color.org) A large number of companies and individuals that participated in development of the ICC specification.
What is an ICC Profile? A profile is specific to a combination of Rip Printer Ink set Media Printing Conditions Pass Number Resolution Dither Type Etc.
What is an ICC Profile? What about problem materials? Certain media types can t be profiled Window perf film Clear films What about using Non IJ type media The ink most likely will adhere to the media Cleanliness issues Liner Issues Other Issues
What is a Preset or Media Settings File? A preset file contains all of the information needed to output an image consistently and correctly. ICC Profile Density File Printing conditions
What Does a Density File Do? A Density File or Linearization Table evens out the scale when a printer lays down colors.
What Does a Density File Do?
What Does a Density File Do?
Where can we get profiles?
How do you make a profile? The 4 Basic Steps 1. Set single color Ink Restrictions 2. Create the Linearization Table 3. Set Multi-color ink limits 4. Build the profile
Quiz Time What is an ICC Color Profile? What are Preset Files? What is a density file or linearization table? Name 3 things that affect color output. Where can you get profiles or preset files?
What is a RIP? Raster Image Processor Raster vs. Vector FlexiSign Products, Onyx Poster Shop, Production House, Onyx Thrive, Roland VersaWorks, Fiery, Wasatch, Others Handles color conversions, sizing, tiling, repeats
(Side Bar) Raster vs. Vector Vector images are composed of line information like the cherries at the top. Perfectly scaleable Raster images or bitmap images are like the enlarged cherries at the bottom.
What is a RIP? Probably the trickiest thing that a RIP has to do is take the colors that exist outside of a printer/media s gamut and shove it in there so that it looks good.
What are Rendering Intents? They are a formula to bring out of gamut colors into the range of colors that a printer is capable of.
What are Rendering Intents? Perceptual Absolute Colorimetric Saturation Others
What are Rendering Intents? Perceptual Best for image files Squeezes in gamut colors to make room for out of gamut colors to maintain detail throughout the tonal range at some expense to contrast levels.
What are Rendering Intents? Absolute Colorimetric Best for vector images Moves out of gamut colors into the envelope without affecting in gamut colors.
What are Rendering Intents? Saturation Best for business charts, etc. Moves in gamut colors to the edge of the envelope.
What are Rendering Intents? Others Relative Colorimetric Proprietary
What about Spot Colors? How do spot colors work? Pantone Roland Color System Library Gerber Spot Foils
Quiz Time What is Color Space? What is Gamut? What is an ICC Color Profile? What does RIP Software do? What are Preset Files? What do Rendering Intents do?
Resources Books: Understanding Color Management by Abhay Sharma, Thomson Delmar Learning. GATF Practical Guide to Color Management by Adams and Weisberg, GATF Press Websites: www.color.org www.digitaldog.net www.freecolormanagement.com www.brucelindbloom.com www.purveslab.net/seeforyourself
Resources Denco Tech Support is available at: 888-336-8323 TechSupport@DencoSales.com DencoSales.com Click on Technical Support