Color Managent
Color Managent
Book Reviews
and Annotated List
Assistant Review Editor: Juan Sacayón
Contents
Introduction 1
Books specifically on Color Management 1
ADAMS, Richard M, II and Joshua B. WEISBERG 2
ADAMS, Richard M, II and Joshua B. WEISBERG 2
ADAMS, Richard M, II. SHARMA Abhay and
SUFFOLETTO, Joseph 3
AGFA 4
BERNS, Roy S. 4
BOHNEN, Roy and Sean O”LEARY 5
BOURGES, Jean 5
BRUEES, Stefan, MAY, Liane, and Dietmar FUCHS 6
DALY, Tim 7
DREW, John T. and MEYER, Sarah. 8
FIELD, Gary G. 9
FIELD, Gary G. 10
FIELD, Gary G. 10
PLEASE NOTE FRASER, Bruce, MURPHY, Chris, and Fred BUNTING 11
This report has not been licensed to any FRASER, Bruce, MURPHY, Chris, and Fred BUNTING 11
printer manufacturer, distributor, dealer, GIORGIANNI, Edward J. and Thomas E. MADDEN 13
sales rep, RIP company, media or ink GIORGIANNI, Edward J. and Thomas E. MADDEN 14
company to distribute. So if you obtained GREY, Tim 15
this from any company, you have a pirated GREY, Tim 15
GREEN, Phil 18
copy.
GretagMacbeth 18
HINKEL Brad. 19
Also, since this report is frequently updated, HOMANN, Jan-Peter 22
if you got your version from somewhere HSIEN, Che Lee 22
else, it may be an obsolete edition. FLAAR JOHNSON, A. J. 23
reports are being updated all year long, and KELLY, Kenneth L, and Deane B. JUDD 23
our comment on that product may have KORNERUP, A and J. H. WANSCHER 23
been revised positively or negatively as we Monaco by X-Rite: Complete Guide to
learned more about the product form end Color Management 23
MUNSELL, Alfred H. 24
users.
NELSON, Phil. 24
O’QUINN, D. 27
To obtain a legitimate copy, which you know REINHARD, Erik. KHAN, Erum. AKYUZ
is the complete report with nothing erased AHMET and JOHNSON Garret. 27
or changed, and hence a report with all the RIDGWAY, Robert 27
original description of pros and cons, please RICH, Jim 28
obtain your original and full report straight RODNEY, Andrew 28
from www.large-format-printers.org SAFFIR, David 29
SHAFFER, Julie 29
SHARMA, Abhay 29
Your only assurance that you have a complete SHARMA, Gaurav 29
and authentic evaluation which describes all STEINMUELLER, Uwe and Juergen GULBINS 30
aspects of the product under consideration, TAPP Eddie 30
benefits as well as deficiencies, is to obtain TALLY, Taz and Glenn MARTIN 31
these reports directly from FLAAR, via YULE, John A., update chapter by Gary Field 31
www.wide-format-printers.NET. WEISBERG, Joshua 32
X-Rite 32
Copyright 2009 PDF´S in the color reference library of
BARBIERI electronic 33
Books and Publications on Color Management 1
Introduction
Many of the book reviews included here come from a FLAAR report which
is part of the digital photography course which FLAAR offered. However
for this stand-alone report in the color management series we updated that
by adding new titles, overall made it comprehensive, and then edited the
content so it might be easier to read. We hope you like the results.
The best book on color management to date is called “Real World Color
Management,” Peachpit Press (all their books are great). Authors are Bruce
Fraser, Chris Murphy, and Fred Bunting. Buy this book immediately. Just be
sure you have the second edition and set aside a rainy weekend to actually
read it, and then additional time to practice with the tools and software.
Books and Publications on Color Management 2
ADAMS, Richard M, II and Joshua B. WEISBERG
1998. The GATF Practical Guide to Color Management. GATFPress, Pittsburgh.
216 Pages
Discusses color management in general. Has only three pages on color management for digital pho-
tography. Not otherwise oriented either to digital photography nor to inkjet printing. Nonetheless, well
written, nicely illustrated, and lots of facts on specific products (hardware and software for color man-
agement). The first chapter is almost identical to that of the other GATF book on color management but
after that they diverge. I read them both the same day and other than the first chapter I learned
something new in each of these books.
Since many of the color management products mentioned in 1998 are no longer available or obsolete,
and as some of the companies have gone out of business, merged, or sort of are not on top anymore,
look at the 2nd edition, which is also already eight years out of date, or nine, if you figure it was prob-
ably written a year before it could be published. Fortunately
Contents:
• Introduction
• Color Theory
• Closed-Loop Color
• Color Measurement
• Color Characterization
• Color Management Profiling Software
• Integrating Color Management
• Visual Color Evaluation
• Color Management Tools for Users
• Appendices
• Glossary
• Index
We do not yet have the update at hand, but will check it out. Most updates of this nature are a
considerable improvement over earlier versions.
260 Pages
Contents:
• Introduction
• Color Theory
• Closed-Loop Color
• Color Measurement
• Color Characterization
• Color Management Profiling Software
Books and Publications on Color Management 3
Dr Richard Adams launched his latest book, entitled Color Management Handbook: A Practical Guide.
The text provides explanations and procedures for practical color management. Despite the relative
maturity of the topic, color still ranks as one of the main issues in digital camera capture and managing
soft and hard copy proofing. This latest title is an invaluable guide to photographers, printers, end-users
and everybody who wants to control and manage color. The text reviews the latest products and proce-
dures — if you are into color you need this book! The text is published by PIA/GATF and is co-authored
with Abhay Sharma and Joseph Suffeleto.
Color Management Handbook: A Practical Guide grants you valuable insight into the subject through a
comprehensive range of topics:
Contents:
• Color appreciation
• Color measurement
• Color management for input devices
• Color management for monitors
• Color management for printers and presses
• Profiling applications
• Color utilities
• Color management for packaging
• Color-managed workflows
• Non-ICC applications
• Visual color evaluation
Books and Publications on Color Management 4
AGFA
1997. The Secrets of Color Management. Agfa Educational Publishing, Randolph, MA.
An excellent booklet for a general introduction. Worth tracking down, even used. The illustrations are
among the best available.
Contents:
• The Digital Reproduction Workflow
• What is Light?
• How do we Perceive Color
• How do Colors Mix?
• Color Models
• Why is Color Management?
• Input Limitations
• Bit Depth
• Characterizing Input Devices
• Monitor Limitations
• Characterizing Monitors
• Output Device Limitations
• Characterizing Output Devices
• Color Separation
• Principles of Digital Proofing
• Color Management Today
• Glossary
BERNS, Roy S.
2000. Billmeyer and Saltzman’s Principles of Color Technology, 3rd Ed
New York.
304 Pages
Contents:
• Defining Color
• Describing Color
• Measuring Color
• Measuring Color Quality
• Colorants
• Producing Colors
• Back to Principles
• Mathematics of Color Technology
• Bibliography
• Index
Books and Publications on Color Management 5
First appendix nicely lists software products, but is two generations (versions)
out of date (circa 1999 or 2000; for example, still on Gretag version 3; current
version is 4.1).
You should be able to obtain this from Chromaticity, rbohnen@chromaticity.com, 616 874-2779 ext
124. Not free but worth its price as long as you don’t expect a book which explains step by step what
you have to do.
Contents:
• Introduction to Color Theory
• Additive and subtractive color spaces
• Introduction to color range
• Device-independent color spaces
• How color is built
• Principles of calibration
• Image capture devices
• Color look-up tables
• International Color Consortium: Introduction to profiles
• Profiles and the workflow
• RIP’s (raster Image Processors)
• Appendix
No glossary. No index. No bibliography nor any other list of references nor where else to find info.
BOURGES, Jean
1997. Color Bytes Blending the Art and Science of Color. Chromatics Press, Forest Hills, NY
This 159 page book was sold by Agfa Educational Publishing (which I would be surprised if it still exists).
I do not include this book because it is on color management, but it definitely is on color and very well
presented. Another thing I like about this book is that it is reader-friendly. So if you simply want to learn
about color in an easy-going manner, get this book at a local library and enjoy it.
Contents:
• Basic of Bourges
• Choose One
• Black is the third dimension
• Warm or cool
• Opposing Colors
• Four-Color Harmony
• Postscript
Books and Publications on Color Management 6
This is the kind of book you would expect a German or Swiss color
scientist to write. Despite that, it is actually quite readable. Some-
times at tradeshows you can wrangle a copy from the GretagMacbeth
booth. If you buy one of their nice products you ought to try to get
the book thrown in as a bonus.
Surprising for a German professor: no bibliography, no index. Being a European book don’t expect
such handy reader-friendly features such as a glossary. Nonetheless this is essential reading and worth
tracking down.
Contents:
Why Color Management?
An Introduction to Colorimetry
• The perception of color
• Additive and subtractive color mixing
• Color temperature and light source
• The development of the CIE chromaticity diagram
• The development of visually equidistant CIE color models
• Color collections
• The difference between color measurement devices
Components of a Color Management System
• Color space conversion
• The four ICC rendering intents
• What is an ICC color profile?
• Developing ICC device profiles
• The mechanisms of an ICC profile
• The ICC standard
• Other ICC compatible color profile formats
• The color management module
• The architecture of Apple ColorSync
• LogoSync and other ICC color management modules
• Ideal ICC compatible applications
Calibration and profiling an input and output systems
• Calibration of input and output systems
• Monitor calibration
• Calibration of digital color printing systems
• Standardization of conventional prepress printing
• Processing measurement data
• Measurement conditions
• Measurement geometry
• Influencing the color target
• Processing the measured data
• Correcting print variations in individual prints
Books and Publications on Color Management 7
• Correcting print variations within a print run
• Updating the print run measurement data over an extended period of time
• Generating a master measurement file for different presses
• Correcting gradation variations
• Profiling input and output systems
• Profiling monitors
• Profiling scanners and digital cameras
• Output profiling
• Separation in a color management system
Implementing color management today
• Color management for Macintosh
• Color management for Windows
• Color management in PostScript
• Data formats, PostScript, and BatchMatcher PS
• Color management in the OPI server
• Media independent image databases
• PDF and color management
• Color management in the World Wide Web
Color management in Photoshop and QuarkXPress
• Adobe Photoshop 4.0.x
• Adobe Photoshop 5.x
• ICC compatible plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop
• QuarkXPress 3.3.x
• QaurkXPress 4.0.x
DALY, Tim
2005. The Digital Color Printing Handbook: A Photographer’s Guide to Creative Color Management
and Printing Techniques. Amphoto Books.
160 Pages
Contents:
• Why color control is essential
• Hardware tools
• Software tools
• Managing color
• Proofing, preview and prediction
• Enhancing color
• Changing color
• Color recipes
• Color techniques
• Special techniques
• Troubleshooting and resources
Nicely presented book but what is disconcerting is that up front they feature an outdated Kodak medium
format back. Kodak is long ago no longer an entity in professional digital photography. In general, the
tone is low-end to mid-range: definitely not high-end pro. Pros use 33 to 39 megapixels in 2006 (okay,
these were not available in 2004 when a book published in 2005 was written). But 129 MB files were
available from a BetterLight already many years ago; even back in the 1990’s files from a large format
tri-linear scanning camera were substantial. So the author’s comments on how much power you need are
all the more consumer-oriented and pro-sumer. This is logical, since there are more people in this situ-
ation to buy a book. A book just directed to BetterLight owners would not be commercially realistic.
Books and Publications on Color Management 8
Has an index, and glossary, but no bibliography, all the more surprising for a person at a university.
If printers are to be mentioned, them metamerism, gloss differential, bronzing and all that need to be
included. These are seemingly not in his vocabulary, nor are any printers besides Epson.
Everyone seems to have problems deciding whether manipulation color in Adobe Photoshop is related
to color management. The answer is NO. You need two separate books: color manipulation, and color
management. There is not really a relationship between the both (at least in theory).
As I continued to read I noticed this was really a book on tweaking color in Adobe Photoshop. It is not
a book on color management whatsoever. This is a book for those who don’t ever intend to use ICC
color profiles, but then why bother to profile your scanner or profile your monitor?
It is typical that book publishers pump up titles or sub-titles with catchy keywords, but in more than 50%
of the books that claim to be on color management, they are really on color balance which is totally
and absolutely different.
Tim Daly is a perfectly good photographer; has years of experience. But this book has zero to do with
color management other than how to calibrate your monitor. The title claims it is on digital printing:
sorry, the book has effectively nothing to do with color printing other than a few snapshots of low-end
desktop printers.
Amphoto Books is one of the best publishers of books on photography, so hopefully they will do better
next time.
224 pages
Contents:
• Introduction
• The Terminology of Color
• Basic Color Theories
• Additive Color Theory
• Subtractive Color Theory
• 3-D Color Theory
• The Creation of Color Wheels
• The Spectral Range of Color Wheel
• Color Legibility
• Readability
• Contrast
• Warm and Cool Matrix
• Utilizing Field Colors with Text Type
• Color Calibration and Overprint
Books and Publications on Color Management 9
FIELD, Gary G.
1998. Color and Its Reproduction. 2nd edition, GATFPress, Pittsburgh.
Has a lengthy glossary, albeit technical and not illustrated. However most
of the concepts are illustrated in the book itself. If you prefer an illustrated
glossary, most Agfa publications are actually in a glossary format – the
whole Agfa booklet is a combination of text with illustrations but practically
in glossary format.
As you would expect for a book written by a color scientist, the GATF
book has an extensive bibliography. The publishers also provide an ample
index.
Books by GATFPress are written by color scientists for offset and related traditional press methods.
Although these monographs do not include inkjet printing technology, the basic principals of color are
the same. If you are a printer operator in any professional setting, it would be useful to peruse the vari-
ous GATF publications. Find them at a library and then order the specific titles you feel you would like
to keep. That is because out of the approximately four GATF titles, they naturally all tend to cover the
same basic core material relative to offset printing color management.
It would be helpful for this class of color specialist to address the problems of inkjet color management.
So far, the friendly folks at Chromaticity come the closest.
Contents:
• Preface
• History of Color Reproduction
• Color Theory
• Color Systems
• Color Perception Fundamentals
• Complex Image Color Perception
• Color Measurement and Specification
• Paper and Ink
Books and Publications on Color Management 10
• Color Printing
• Printing Systems Analysis
• Color Originals
• Color Reproduction Objectives and Strategies
• Color Separation
• Color Proofing
• Color Communication
• Color Quality Strategy
• Appendix A: Symbols and Abbreviations
• Appendix B: Color-Related Standards and Specifications
• Appendix C: Color Difference Equations
• Appendix D: Equations for Color Reproduction
• Appendix E: Sources of Standards and Related Technical Information
• Glossary
• References
FIELD, Gary G.
2001. Color Essentials: Color and Quality for the Graphic Arts and Sciences, Vol. I. GATF.
Contents:
• Color Reproduction Objectives
• High-Fidelity Color
• Gray (Color) Balance
• Color Saturation
• Color Halftoning
• High-Resolution Color
• Color Image Sharpness
• Fifty Years of Color Scanning
• Digital Color
• Predicting Color Reproduction
• Color Printing Quality
FIELD, Gary G.
2003. Color and its reproduction: Fundamentals For The Digital Imaging And Print Industry.
Contents:
• Color Perception basics
• Complex Image Color Perception
• Color Measurement
• Color Reproduction Principles
• Color Imaging Progress
• Digital Color Systems
• Paper and Ink
• Color Printing
Books and Publications on Color Management 11
An excellent book which describes everything. Nice long descriptions, with plenty of illustrations and
examples. Some chapters are veritable glossaries in themselves. However this is not a practical guide
for the lost soul who just needs to know how to do linearization and custom profiles to get his/her colors
right in the final inkjet print. 533 pages are simply too much for the average mortal. I have consider-
able interest in learning color management, but I fell by the wayside after about 350 pages. Not that
the book is bad, but that it explains too much detail about everything under the sun related to color
management. In the process it neglects to walk the lost soul through what they have to do out in the
print shop, starting at a print with an angry artist demanding to know why their inspirational colors in
the original oil painting did not reproduce in the inkjet (giclee) print.
Includes an ample index, a useful 20 page glossary, but no bibliography. That’s right, not a single soli-
tary list of books, as though nothing else on the planet had ever been written on color management.
Not any kind of references nor where else to find info. Within the text, books by other authors are cited
from time to time. However a book on a technical subject with no bibliography is almost a contradiction
of terms.
Still, we recommend this book as among the best available so far. The authors definitely know the
material inside out.
Just be sure you get the second edition and then set aside a rainy weekend to actually read it, and then
additional time to practice with the tools and software.
The same day we also got our copy of Dan Margulis, “Photoshop LAB Color” (how to correct color
in Adobe Photoshop but using the CieL*A*B* color space and not intuitively in traditional RGB). 366
pages plus a CD.
So that is about a thousand pages of material that I am supposed to read in my normal office hours.
It is now three years later (December 2008) and I am perusing this book in more detail. The first thing
I notice is that this book is on color management in general: this is not a book on color management
solely and specifically for inkjet printers. But it does cover inkjet printers and is by no means devoted
entirely to offset presses. But in every chapter it has sections on offset presses, toner laser printers,
RGB laser-light printers (LightJet, Durst Lambda, etc).
This is a good book for a general introduction to basic concepts. But this is not whatsoever a step by
step book on color management workflow for wide-format inkjet printing. I recommend that you buy this
book to read, but do not expect to be able to actually do color management with this book. But this is
not a reason not to buy it. Besides, I have not yet found a step by step book on color management for
inkjet printers that really provides what the PR releases claim that their book offers.
Also realize that in this year 2009, that a book published in 2005 was written in 2004. This is a polite
way to say that today there are new tools, better software and different expectations.
Contents:
• Overview: The Big Picture
• Contents: What´s Inside
• Preface: The Color-Management Conundrum
• Introduction to Color Management
• What is color? Reflections on life
• Computers and color: color by the numbers
• Color Management: how it works
• All about profiles: describing devices
• Building and tuning profiles
• Measurement, calibration, and process control: “the map is not the territory”
• Building display profiles: your window to color
• Building Input profiles: Starting out right
• Building output profiles: final destinations
• Evaluating and editing profiles: color orienteering
• Applications and workflow
• Color-management workflow: Where the rubber meets the road.
• Color management in the operating system: Who does what to whom, when?
• The adobe common color architecture: Color Management in adobe photoshop,
indesign, and illustrator
• Color Management in Macromedia freehand 10: Capable but quirky.
• Color Management in CorelDraw 10: It manages everything but its own files
• Color Management in Quarkxpress: Incremental Improvement
• Color Management and PDF: the wave of the future
• Automation and scripting: The smart way to be lazy
• Building Color-managed workflows: Bringing it all together the four stages of color
management
• Appendices
Books and Publications on Color Management 13
If these are the people who invented the Kodak Photo CD system I just hope
their book is less oriented to low-end, entry-level (which was the original intent
of the Kodak Photo CD system). I also hope they don’t push the same color
scheme inflicted by Kodak Photo CD either. However since this book does
discuss the dreadful Kodak Photo YCC scheme, if you have ever used a Kodak
Photo CD, you need to get this book. Also be sure to read the book “Official
Kodak Photo CD Handbook,” by Peachpit Press. Out of print but worth getting
via Interlibrary Loan.
Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• Fundamentals
• Measuring Color
• Color-Imaging Systems
• The Human Color-Imaging System
• The Nature of Color Images
• Video Images
• Reflection Images
• Photographic Transparencies
• Photographic Negatives
• Digital Color Encoding
• Encoding Concepts
• Densitometric Color Encoding
• Colorimetric Color Encoding
• Photo CD Color Encoding
• Color-Encoding Data Metrics
• Output Signal Processing
• Myths and Misconceptions
• A Unified Color-Management Environment
• Color-Management Paradigms
• Unified Paradigm: Basic Properties
• Unified Paradigm: Color Encoding
• Unified Paradigm: A Prototype System
• Unified Paradigm: Color Interchange
• Unified Paradigm: Overall System Architecture
• Final Thoughts and Conclusions
• Appendices
• Colorimetry
• Densitometry
• Photographic Media
• Adaptation
• Viewing Flare
• PhotoYCC Color Space
• Transformations for Color Interchange
• PhotoYCC Space to Prototype CES
• Prototype CES to Photo YCC Space
• PhotoYCC Space to YC(b)C(r)
• PhotoYCC Space to Cineon 522
Books and Publications on Color Management 14
Contents:
• Series Preface
• Acknowledgement
• Introduction
• Fundamentals
• Measuring Color
• Color-Imaging Systems
• The Human Color-Imaging System
• The Nature of Color Images
• Electronic Displays
• Electronic Imaging Systems
• ReflectionImages
• ProjectedImages
• Photographic Negatives
• Digital Color Encoding
• Encoding Concepts
• Densitometric Color Encoding
• Colorimetric Color Encoding
• Scene-Based Color Encoding
• Color-Encoding Data Metrics
• Output Signal Processing
• Myths and Misconceptions
• A Unified Color-Management Environment
• Color-Management Paradigms
• A Unified Paradigm: Basic Properties
• A Unified Paradigm: Encoding Concepts
• A Unified Paradigm: Encoding Transformations
• Unified Paradigm: Example Systems
• A Unified Paradigm: Complex Systems
• A Unified Paradigm: Color Interchange
• A Unified Paradigm: Implementation
• Closing Thoughts and Conclusions
• Appendices
• Colorimetry
• Densitometry
• Photographic Media
• Adaptation
• Viewing Flare
• Scene-Based Color Encoding Specifications
• Transformations for Color Interchange
• Color-Primary Conversions
Books and Publications on Color Management 15
• Mathematical Transforms
• Glossary
• Suggested Reading
• Index
GREY, Tim
2004. Color Confidence: The Digital Photographer’s Guide to Color Management. Sybex.
We now have this book. It looks excellent. A different style than by more traditional color scientists
(whose work is a tad stiff for us photographers). This book discusses profiling a scanner and how to
profile your monitor. In the chapter on print output, the coverage is basic (a polite way of saying that
it is not a dedicated monograph on color management for printers). But at least the publisher, Sybex,
is honest to hint that the book is mainly about digital photography color, and not about printer color
management.
GREY, Tim
2005. Color Confidence: The Digital Photographer’s Guide to Color
Management
Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1 Foundations
The Nature of Light
Light in Photography
The Nature of Color
Perceived Color
The Color Wheel
Color Models
Metamerism
Color Profiles
Rendering Intents
Introducing Color Management
Limitations of Color Management
Chapter 6 Optimization
Evaluating Images
Memory Colors
Saturation Testing
Making Color Adjustments
Color Balance
Color Balance with Levels
Color Balance with Curves
Neutral by the Numbers
Selective Color
Hue/Saturation
Targeted Adjustments
Color-Adjusting Black-and-White Images
Convert with Channel Mixer
Colorize for Print
Saving the File
File Formats
Embedded Profiles
Chapter 7 Output
Choosing a Printer
Printer Profiles
Building Custom Printer Profiles
Using “Canned” Printer Profiles
Using Generic Profiles
Choosing a Rendering Intent
Preparing Images
Soft Proofing
Gamut Warning
Adjusting Images
Print Preparation
Print Setup
Print with Preview
Printer Properties
Printing with a RIP
QuadTone RIP
ImagePrint
Evaluating Prints
Environment
Standard Print Target
When Prints Don’t Match
Books and Publications on Color Management 18
CMYK Output
RGB with Proof Print
Converting to CMYK
Web, E-mail, and Digital Slideshows
Flatten the Image
Resize the Image
Convert to sRGB
Save the Image
Digital Projector Profiling
Chapter 8 Workflow
Predictable Output
The Pre-Workflow Checklist
Process-Specific Workflows
Scan-to-Print Workflow
Digital Capture to Print Workflow
Web, E-mail, and Digital Projection Workflow
CMYK Output Workflow
Glossary
Index
GREEN, Phil
1999. Understanding Digital Color. GATFPress.
400 pages
GretagMacbeth
2002. ColorCookbook. Free download in PDF format from www.i1color.com (eyeOne
abbreviated i1).
Contents:
• The Eye-One Color Cookbook
• Device dependence
• Device independence
• Device color space
• Device profile
• Profile connection space
• Device link profile
• Modular color space conversion
• Asymmetric color space conversion
• Printer rendering intents
• Black point compensation
• Comparing measured colors
• Recommended soft-proofing settings
Books and Publications on Color Management 19
HINKEL Brad.
2007. Color Management in Digital Photography: Ten Easy Steps to True Colors in Photoshop.
Rocky Nook.
Contents:
Ten Steps for Color Management
Choose a Color Space
Get a Good Monitor
Create a Good Work Environment
Calibrate and Profile Your Monitor
Get a Good Printer
Create Basic Prints
Test Your Color Management System
Create Advanced Prints
Obtain Profiles
Adjusting Colors for Advanced Printing
What is Color Management?
Select a Color Space
What is a Color Space?
Color Space Options
Books and Publications on Color Management 20
sRGB
Adobe RGB
sRGB vs. Adobe RGB
Some Other Color Spaces
ColorMatch RGB
ProPhoto RGB
eciRGB
scRGB
Configuring Your Color Space
Convert to sRGB
Get a Good Monitor
Selecting a Monitor
Some Specific Monitor Recommendations
Laptop Displays
Video Cards
Create a Good Work Environment
The Effect of Environment on Color
The Environment Matters
Room Lighting
Use a Monitor Hood
Set Your Computer’s Desktop to Boring Gray
Remove Distracting Colors from Your Environment
Proofing Light
Profile Your Monitor
Tools for Monitor Calibration and Profiling
Monaco OPTIX & Monaco EZcolor
Gretag MacBeth Eye-One
ColorEyes Display
Calibration
Profiling
Get a Good Printer
Categories of Printer Choices
Inexpensive Photo Printers
Printing Online with a Photo Lab
HP Photosmart Printers
Epson UltraChrome Printers
Epson K3 Printers
Basic Printing
Main Elements of Good Printing
Using the Printer Driver
Use the Printer as it was Designed
A look at the Printer Driver
Basic Printing
Mac Print Dialog
Windows Print Dialog
Online Printing Services
A Color Management Workflow
A Basic Workflow
Capture using your Working Color Space
Books and Publications on Color Management 21
This English translation of this book has been stalled for almost two years.
Evidently available in German original, 2000, Digitales Colormanagement.
Farbe in der Publishing-Praxis. Macintosh- und Windows-Version. Pos-
sibly finally published as of June 2003 but we have not yet seen a copy
ourselves.
Contents:
• Color Theory with Ideal Colors
• Color Theory with Realistic Colors
• The Principles of Color Management
• ISO 12647/GRACoL/SWOP for Separation, Proof and
Print
• Using ICC Strengths and Avoiding ICC Problems
• PDF/X-1a and DeviceLink Color Servers
• Corner Stones for a Color-Management Strategy
• Acknowledgements
Contents:
• Preface
• Introduction
• Light
• Radiometry
• Photometry
• Light-matter interaction
• Colorimetry
• Light sources
• Scene physics
• Optical image formation
• Lens aberrations and image irradiance
• Eye optics
• From retina to brain
• Visual psychophysics
• Color order systems
• Color measurement
• Device calibration
• Tone reproduction
• Color reproduction
• Color image acquisition
• Color image display
• Image quality
• Basic concepts in color image processing
• Extended tables.
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index
Books and Publications on Color Management 23
JOHNSON, A. J.
1998. Guidelines for Choosing the Correct Viewing Conditions for Colour Publishing 2nd edition
Pira International
We have been unable to locate a copy of this book. It is no longer listed in the Pira web site.
252 Pages
The publication was written by the marketing department of X-Rite in an attempt to spark concerns
about color management towards potential customers. Elsewhere it is not realistic to expect a company
to give you unbiased information about color management. However, if you can get past the premise,
you’ll find that the first 18 pages of the book give a very informational, general education about the need
for color management. The second half of the book is a catalog-like commercial for X-Rite and Monaco
products. The last section of this book contains a very useful glossary of general color management
terms. See FLAAR Glossary of Color Management Terms.
Contents:
• Color Management overview
• What is the problem-color doesn’t match?
• Why is there a problem? Devices are different
• Making it work- Calibration and Profiles
• Taking it step by step
• For advanced users
• Practical solutions
• Tips and Tricks
• Glossary
• Soft Proofing guide
Books and Publications on Color Management 24
MUNSELL, Alfred H.
1976. Munsell Book of Colors. Various editions; various titles over the years.
In the early 1900’s Munsell developed a system for color notation that used numbers instead of illogi-
cal names such as passionate petunia. His book of colors has been standard reference at least since
the 1950’s. As an archaeologist and art historian I used Munsell color charts for years, to provide color
designations for the colors of pre-Columbian art and artifacts. Even today, in the computer era, the
Munsell color charts are still valid. A brief but helpful commentary on the Munsell system is available
from www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munsell_color_system. Munsell’s position in color science is perhaps best
realized by the fact that the Rochester Image of Science named their prestigious lab the “Munsell Color
Science Laboratory.”
NELSON, Phil.
2007. The Photographer’s Guide to Color Management: Professional Techniques for Consistent
Results. Amherst Media, Inc.
Contents:
Introduction
The Challenges of Digital Photography
Building a Digital Photography Workflow
Why Color Management?
The Color Problem
The Extended Photography Workflow: Working with
Clients and Service Providers
Relying on Service Providers
Working with Clients Who Don’t Understand Color
Management
The Benefits of Color Management
Predictable Color
Reduced Waste of Media and Time
Improved Communication with Members of the Extended Workflow
Real World Expectations: The Colors Will Not Always Match!
Certain Devices Cannot Perceive, Display, or Render All the Colors in Your Image
Aspects of the Workspace Can Negatively Impact Color Perception
Outside Services Cannot Always “Get It Right”
The Objective of This Book
Preview: A Color-Managed Workflow
A Typical Workflow: No Color Management
A Typical Color-Managed Workflow
Color-Management Concepts
RGB and CMYK Color Models
RGB
CMYK
The Color Space and Color Gamut
Books and Publications on Color Management 25
Display Profiling
Testing Your Calibration and Profile
Creating Input Profiles
Digital Cameras
Raw Files
Jpeg and Tiff Files
Scanners
Creating Output Profiles
Inkjet Printer
Building RGB and CMYK Output Profiles
Media Type
Walking Through the Color-Management Workflow
Inputting Images
The Digital Camera Workflow
Raw Files
Jpeg/Tiff Files
The Scanning Workflow
Outputting Images
Graphic Design/Prepress
Worldwide Web
Inkjet Printer
Outputting to a Rip
Raw Converters that Print
Common Pitfalls
Redundant Conversion
Printer Presets
Assigning the Monitor’s Profile
Proofing
Final Output Device (FOD) Profile
Soft-Proofing
Gamut Warning
Hard-Proofing
Rips that Proof
The Work Environment
ISO 3664
Room Lighting
Evaluating Prints
Practical Appraisal
Critical Color Matching
The Color-Critical Workstation
The Extended Workflow
Working with Photo Labs
Preparing Images for Clients
Clarify the RGB Color Space
Get an ICC Profile
Web Images
File Format
Converting and Embedding
Web References
Index
Books and Publications on Color Management 27
O’QUINN, D.
2000. Print publishing: A Hayden shop manual. Indianapolis, Hayden Publishing.
800 Pages
1074 Pages
Contents:
• Principals
• Introduction
• Physics of light
• Chemistry of matter
• Human Vision
• Perception
• Color Models
• Radiometry and Photometry
• Colorimetry
• Color Spaces
• Illuminants
• Chromatic Adaptation
• Color and Image Appearance Models
• Digital Color Imaging
• Image Capture
• High Dynamic Range Image Caption
• Display Technologies
• Image Properties and Image Display
• Color Management
• Dynamic Range Reduction
• Appendices
• Vectors and Matrices
• Trigonometry
• Complex Numbers
RIDGWAY, Robert
1912. Color Standards and Color Nomenclature. Washington, D.C., published by the author.
43 pp and 53 color pls.
Contents:
• Preface
• Prologue
• Plan
• Color names
• Color Terms
• Table of percentages of component colors in spectrum hues
• Table of percentages of white and black in tone scales
• Table of percentages neutral gray in broken colors
• Table of percentages of black and white in tones of carbon gray
• Dyes and pigments used in coloring of Maxwell disks
• Alphabetical list of color represented on plates
• Colors of old edition not represented on plates
• List of useful books on color
RICH, Jim
2004. The Rip Report, Using And Choosing ICC-Based RIPs That Drive
Inkjet Color Printers.
I contacted the author who politely responded within a few hours, saying
that he was closing down his consulting company and switching to a regular
job. He also said the book was no longer available.
RODNEY, Andrew
2005. Color Management for Photographers. Focal Press.
This is a good book by a well known and knowledgeable author. But, if you notice that the sub-title is
“Hands on Techniques for Photoshop Users” then you may wonder beforehand whether this book is
not really about color management, but instead about color manipulation in Adobe Photoshop. Color
manipulation has absolutely nothing to do with color management and for sure not an iota of relation-
ship with ICC color profiles. But once you open up the book you see that it really does cover color
management and profiling. Indeed this does not delve into color manipulation (as expected from the
emphasis on Photoshop in the sub-title).
464 pages, good paper, illustrations mostly in color. Glossary, index, bibliography is only of web sites
but this is better than no bibliography at all. For some reason it is out of fashion to create a list of sug-
gested reading. Perhaps publishers nowadays want not to list books of competing publishers.
Contents:
• Color management and why we need it
• Photoshop and color management
• Building display profiles
• Building scanner profiles
• Building camera profiles
• Building printer/output profiles
• Printing to a press
• CMS utilities
• Tutorials
• Case studies
Books and Publications on Color Management 29
SAFFIR, David
2006. Mastering Digital Color: A Photographer’s and Artist’s Guide
to Controlling Color. Course Technology PTR
Contents:
• Introduction: imagine the possibilities
• Getting a grip on your color : definitions and a road
map
• Controlling your color: tools for photographers
• Production guide for photographers
• Color management policies for photographers
• Production guide for artists
• Color quality control
• Black and white imaging in the digital world
• Preserving color : archiving and storage
• Helpful tips and tricks
• Art gallery
SHAFFER, Julie
2005. Color Management and PDF.
61 Pages
SHARMA, Abhay
2003. Understanding Color Management. Delmar Publishers.
Contents:
• Introduction
• Color and Vision
• Color by Numbers
• Measuring Instruments
• Inside Profiles
• Scanner and Camera Profiles
• Monitor Profiles
• Press and Printer Profiles
• Apple Utilities
• Color Management in Photoshop
• Profile Quality
SHARMA, Gaurav
2002. Digital Color Imaging Handbook. CRC Press.
Contents:
• Color fundamentals for digital imaging
• Visual psychophysics and color appearance
Books and Publications on Color Management 30
TAPP Eddie
2006. Color Management: Eddie Tapp on Digital Photography. O’Reilly Media
149 pages.
Contents:
• Introduction
• Chapter 1
• The search for consistent color
• A brief history of color management
• Color management today
• Chapter 2
• Understanding key color management concepts
Books and Publications on Color Management 31
This book was announced in 2002, then delayed. The word on the street was the writer did not agree
with the publisher. However, as of 2005, the book seems to be out (dated 2003). We searched for this
publication and came across three websites that mentioned the book. Two of them listed that the book
had been postponed and Amazon UK listed it as available. Whatever the case, be sure that you are
buying the book from a legitimate company.
As of December 2008, the Canadian version of Amazon lists the book as “this title has not yet been
released.” The question is whether a book written in 2001 will be pertinent in 2009.
If you happen to be interested in scanner software, one book that Tally did actually finish is on Silver-
Fast, which is the best after-market scanner software (from Germany).
Contents:
• Introduction
• Elementary Principles of Color
Books and Publications on Color Management 32
WEISBERG, Joshua
2004. Apple Pro Training Series: Color Management in Mac OS X. Peachpit Press.
Contents:
• Color-Management Basics
• Using Color Management in Mac OS X
• Color Profile Basics
• Creating Custom Profiles
• Color Managing Images
• Image Proofing and Output
• Using the Adobe Common Color Architecture
• Managing Color in Page Layout
• Managing Color Proofs
• Color Server Workflows
• Internet and DV Color Management
• Apple’s Digital Production Platform: An integrated Workflow
• Glossary
X-Rite
1998. The Color Guide and Glossary. X-Rite, Inc., Grandville, Michigan.
This booklet is free; we got ours from X-Rite, but due to the date of publication it may be out of print
now. This is a glossary of color science; not a ‘how to’ booklet on color management. However it is
worth getting a hold of so you can start to learn the terms. It is nicely illustrated.
Books and Publications on Color Management 33
Contents:
• Color Communications
• Understanding Color
• The CIE Color Systems
• Spectral Data vs. Tristimulus Data
• Color Management and Control
• Instrumentation
• Measurement in the Graphic Arts Workflow
• Color Specification
• Color Management
• Color Formulation
• Color Control
• Color Verification
• Glossary
We found this PDF´S in the color reference library of BARBIERI electronic company headquar-
ters in Brixen, Italy, during a factory and demo room visit, November 2008.
www.adobe.com/designcenter/creativesuite/articles/cs3ip_clrwrkflow.pdf
www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/pdfs/cscolormgmt.pdf
www.onyxgfx.com/document.pl?cmd=download&docid=36
Issue Date