PhotoShop ICC File Management Color Process

The introduction of the color space, ICC color profile may have confused you - is it not becoming more complicated? When you think about it, you'll suddenly see it: The color space is a number table, and the digital camera or scanner assembles the original colors according to this table. However, this number can only qualitatively describe this as red and blue as it is, and it does not accurately describe what redness is or what extent it is.

The process of setting up an ICC file for inputting a device is to refer to the color of a standard and find out what color each number corresponds to; since the color card is standard, its color is determined by reference to its number, and the color of the number is moved randomly. Nor will it be confused. The ICC of the output device is the correspondence between the specified number and the actual output color, and the rearrangement will no longer occur. The process of numbering, moving, rearranging is the color management.

Color management includes: color matching between the original color and the display, color matching between the display and the output, color matching between the original color and the output, color matching between the input devices, color matching between the output devices, etc. There is a uniform standard in the process, and there is a basis for the choice of equipment. We use PhotoShop 6.0 to process images on a Windows system as an example to illustrate the process of managing colors using ICC files.

The scanner's ICC file is used directly in the scan driver and the color is calibrated during the scan. For digital photography, the first step in color management is to use a reasonable color space when shooting. For less demanding applications such as web mapping, self-printing photos, digital photo output, etc., the sRGB color space can be simply selected; however, for photographs to be used for print publishing or high-precision print output, Adobe RGB must be selected for shooting. The color space, which is always used in image processing, is converted to CMYK mode only before being sent to platemaking.

Strict color management is required to establish the ICC file of the camera in different lighting conditions. In fact, the white balance setting of the camera is calculated according to the manufacturer's preset, similar to the data of the ICC file, but the standard is not used. The ICC format is embedded in the camera software. You can also create an ICC file (using a dedicated color card and software) in accordance with the uncolored process, and then use PhotoShop's Assign Profile command to embed the ICC file for accurate color reproduction.

With the printer's ICC file, you can use PhotoShop's Proof Setup command to assign the printer's ICC file to the file to be printed, and then preview the possible print results with the Proof Colors command.

All of this is based on the premise that the monitor's color reproduction is accurate. Therefore, the monitor must first be calibrated. After the display has been physically calibrated for brightness, contrast, and color, the ICC file is created. In the Windows Monitor Properties Settings Advanced dialog box, there are special options for color management. Calling this ICC file ensures that the color displayed by the monitor is closest to the standard color.

In the three links of input, display, and output, the system and application software will automatically use the three links of the ICC file for color data calculation and color space conversion, so that the color is always consistent, which is the secret of color management.


Source: HC Network