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Meeting Summary

Colour Management
Wed, Aug 19th, 2009 at 6:30 PM
RMIT University
Event Details

A colour management system reconciles colour differences among devices so that you can be reasonably certain of the colours your system ultimately produces. Viewing colour accurately allows you to make sound colour decisions throughout your workflow, from digital capture through final output. Colour management also allows you to create output based on ISO, SWOP, and Japan Colour print production standards.

There are many colour spaces -- RGB, CMYK, LAB Colour, etc. RGB has wider gamut of colours, so we can see RGB images brighter. Colour-matching problems occur because various devices and software use different colour spaces. One solution is to have a system that interprets and translates colour accurately between devices.

Adobe colour management helps you maintain the appearance of colours as you bring images in from external sources, edit documents and transfer them between Adobe applications, and output your finished compositions. This system is based on conventions developed by the International Colour Consortium (ICC), a group responsible for standardizing profile formats and procedures so that consistent and accurate colour can be achieved throughout a workflow.

ACHIEVING CONSISTENT COLOURS

Calibrate your monitor
A monitor profile is the first profile you should create. Seeing accurate colour is essential in creative decisions involving the colour you specify in your document. You can use third-party software and hardware to create more accurate profiles for specific devices and conditions. For example: X-Rite Colour Management tools with Monaco Profiler ICC Software. Huey (Pantone) designed for calibrating and Profiling all types of monitors like LCD AND CRT. (You just need to keep it in front of your monitor and it calibrates automatically.)

Consult with your printer
Consult with your printer to ensure that all aspects of your colour management workflow integrate seamlessly with theirs. You can ask for their colour profile and assign to your workflow or discuss at what level colour management will be implemented.

Set up colour management in Adobe applications
By default, colour management is turned on in colour-managed Adobe applications. Colour settings can be synchronized across applications to provide consistent display for RGB and CMYK colours. However, you can change the colour settings by doing one of the following:

Bridge
Use Adobe Bridge to choose a standard colour management configuration and synchronise colour settings across applications before working with documents. If you use only one Adobe application, or if you want to customize advanced colour management options, you can change colour settings for a specific application.

GREAT TIPS

Installing colour profile
In Windows, right-click a profile and select Install Profile. Alternatively, copy the profiles into the WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\colour folder. In Mac OS, copy profiles into the /Library/ColourSync/Profiles folder or the /Users/[username]/Library/ColourSync/Profiles folder.

Assigning colour profile
Choose Edit > Assign Profile. Select an option, and click OK.

Converting colours
You can convert colour(s) profile in a PDF using the Convert Colours tool on the Print Production toolbar.

For print documents, use mixed workflow
Mix of CMYK (all graphics etc) and RGB (photos or images). Leave converting of all images to CMYK until the end. Always set text in 100% black.

For online documents, use sRGB
When exporting to PDF, save in PDF/X-1a:2003, as this flattens the PDF. Press Quality converts all RGB images to CMYK. Smallest file size is good for web distribution and saves in sRGB.

Printing with inkjet
When printing photos to Inkjet printers, don't convert to CMYK, keep RGB.

Thank you

Big thank you to Adobe, RMIT University, and Aquent for your wonderful generosity.

Not forgetting our diligent volunteers: John, Peter, Therese, Purvi, Colin, Mark, Christine, and Stimson.

Comments from attendees

"I cannot believe it's free!"

"Interesting topic. I was just learning about colour management and it was very helpful."

"Colour management covered a lot of what I will use towards my next project. It was a great session."

"It was exactly what I thought about tonight's meeting so I am really happy to be here."

"Good, information about colour management. Good to know about 'double dipping' in colour management."

"Really enjoyed it! Pointed out some big gaps in my knowledge, some useful pointers. Thanks!"

Next Meeting

InDesign Trivia Night
Date: 4 November 2009, Wednesday
Time: 6.30pm - 9.00pm
Venue: RMIT University, 25 Dawson Street, Brunswick

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