The Photographer's Guide to Color Management
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Photographer’s Guide to COLOR MANAGEMENT Professional Techniques for Consistent Results PHIL NELSON Amherst Media® PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS Copyright © 2007 by Phil Nelson. All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Published by: Amherst Media® P.O. Box 586 Buffalo, N.Y. 14226 Fax: 716-874-4508 www.AmherstMedia.com Publisher: Craig Alesse Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt ISBN-13: 978-1-58428-204-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2006937282 Printed in Korea. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani- cal, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher. Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book. Table of Contents Acknowledgments . .5 The Color Space and Color Gamut . .24 About the Author . .6 Device-Dependent Color Space . .24 Foreword . .7 Different Devices Define the Same Color Differently . .24 Introduction . .8 Device-Independent Color Space . .25 The Challenges of Digital Photography . .8 The Importance of Device-Independent Color . .26 Building a Digital Photography Workflow . .8 LAB Color . .26 Profile Connection Spaces . .27 1.Why Color Management? . .11 ICC Color Profiles . .27 The Color Problem . .11 Working Spaces . .28 The Extended Photography Workflow: Working Color-Management Methods . .31 with Clients and Service Providers . .12 Application-Level Color Management . .31 Relying on Service Providers . .12 System-Level Color Management . .31 Working with Clients Who Don’t Assigning Color Meaning vs. Understand Color Management . .12 Converting Color Data . .32 The Benefits of Color Management . .13 Assigning a Profile . .32 Predictable Color . .13 Converting to a Color Space . .33 Reduced Waste of Media and Time . .16 Rendering Intents . .35 Improved Communication with Members Relative Colorimetric . .36 of the Extended Workflow . .13 Absolute Colorimetric . .36 Real World Expectations: Perceptual . .37 The Colors Will Not Always Match! . .16 Saturation . .37 Certain Devices Cannot Perceive, Display, or Render Embedding Profiles . .37 All the Colors in Your Image . .16 Aspects of the Workspace Can 4. Software Setup . .38 Negatively Impact Color Perception . .16 Define a Standard Working Space and Outside Services Cannot Always “Get It Right” . .17 Source-to-Destination Conversions . .38 The Objective of This Book . .17 Where Do ICC Profiles Come From? . .39 Device Manufacturers, Application Developers, 2. Preview: A Color-Managed Workflow . .18 Paper Manufacturers . .39 A Typical Workflow: No Color Management . .18 Profile Services . .40 A Typical Color-Managed Workflow . .19 Build Your Own . .40 Where Do ICC Profiles Live? . .41 3. Color-Management Concepts . .22 Macintosh . .41 RGB and CMYK Color Models . .22 Windows . .41 RGB . .23 System-Level Color Management: Setting Up . .41 CMYK . .23 Macintosh . .41 Table of Contents 3 Windows . .42 Common Pitfalls . .92 Shortcomings of System-Level Color Management . .43 Redundant Conversion . .92 Application-Level Color Management: Setting Up . .44 Printer Presets . .93 Color Settings in Photoshop CS2 . .44 Assigning the Monitor’s Profile . .93 Setting Up Phase One Capture One Pro . .47 7. Proofing . .94 5. Building a Color-Managed Workflow . .50 Final Output Device (FOD) Profile . .95 What Is Needed? . .50 Soft-Proofing . .95 Hardware for Setting Up Color Management . .50 Gamut Warning . .101 Software for Setting Up Color Management . .51 Hard-Proofing . .104 Device Calibration vs. Profiling . .51 RIPs that Proof . .109 Calibration . .51 Display Calibration and Profiling . .52 8.The Work Environment . .110 Types of Displays . .52 ISO 3664 . .110 Display Calibration . .53 Room Lighting . .110 White Point . .55 Evaluating Prints . .113 Gamma . .56 Practical Appraisal . .113 Luminance . .56 Critical Color Matching . .114 Display Profiling . .56 The Color-Critical Workstation . .114 Testing Your Calibration and Profile . .57 Creating Input Profiles . .58 9.The Extended Workflow . .116 Digital Cameras . .59 Working with Photo Labs . .118 RAW Files . .59 Preparing Images for Clients . .119 JPEG and TIFFFiles . .63 Clarify the RGB Color Space . .119 Scanners . .68 Get an ICC Profile . .119 Creating Output Profiles . .71 Web Images . .120 Inkjet Printer . .74 File Format . .120 Building RGB and CMYK Output Profiles . .76 Converting and Embedding . .120 Media Type . .82 Web References . .122 6.Walking Through the Index . .123 Color-Management Workflow . .83 Inputting Images . .83 The Digital Camera Workflow . .83 RAW Files . .83 JPEG/TIFF Files . .83 The Scanning Workflow . .84 Outputting Images . .87 Graphic Design/Prepress . .88 Worldwide Web . .88 Inkjet Printer . .88 Outputting to a RIP . .90 RAW Converters that Print . .91 4 The Photographer’s Guide to Color Management Acknowledgments his book is dedicated to my wife, Diane, who puts up with my obsessive Tbehavior on a daily basis, and who has patiently supported me as I built my imaging business. Just after leaving my job at Adobe Systems, I had the very good fortune of being introduced to a small company in Akron, OH, run by some very smart people who are dedicated to providing the highest quality support, service, and training to anyone struggling with managing color. I owe a large amount of thanks to Will Holland and Eric Harsh, founders of the Graphic Intelligence Agency (now X-Rite Color Services) for taking me in as a color consultant and entrusting me with many of their national seminars. Equal thanks go to Mark Gundlach, who never ceases to amaze me with his knowl- edge of color management. Thanks to Marc Aguilera, Nick Wilcox-Brown, and my good friend, Charlie Griswold, for their input. And thanks to Livia, Ian, and Alex, who have finally accepted the fact that I will forever be taking their picture. Acknowledgments 5 About the Author hil Nelson started his career in graphic design and In 2004, Phil traded in his corporate suit for a camera Pfilm production at a time when computer graphics bag and tripod and has built a business around photog- technology was very expensive and designers relied on T raphy and digital imaging. Nelson specializes in land- squares, hot wax, and rapidograph pens as standard tools. scape, travel, and architectural photography. In addition Phil understood earlier than most the value of technolo- to creating fine art images, Phil has produced images for gy to the graphic artist and started experimenting with numerous magazines, as well as corporate and private one of the first Macintosh computers in 1984. After clients. developing some computer expertise, Nelson was asked Nelson has also teamed up with GretagMacbeth to provide input on graphic design and computers to Global Services (now owned by X-Rite), the services arm.