Operation Manual

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326

USING ACROBAT X STANDARD

Color management

Last updated 10/11/2011

for most cameras). Advanced users may also consider using different profiles for different light sources. For scanner

profiles, some photographers create separate profiles for each type or brand of film scanned on a scanner.

Output device profiles Describe the color space of output devices like desktop printers or a printing press. The color

management system uses output device profiles to properly map the colors in a document to the colors within the

gamut of an output device’s color space. The output profile should also take into consideration specific printing

conditions, such as the type of paper and ink. For example, glossy paper is capable of displaying a different range of

colors than matte paper.

Most printer drivers come with built-in color profiles. It’s a good idea to try these profiles before you invest in custom

profiles.

Document profiles Define the specific RGB or CMYK color space of a document. By assigning, or tagging, a document

with a profile, the application provides a definition of actual color appearances in the document. For example, R=127,

G=12, B=107 is just a set of numbers that different devices will display differently. But when tagged with the Adobe

RGB color space, these numbers specify an actual color or wavelength of light—in this case, a specific color of purple.

When color management is on, Adobe applications automatically assign new documents a profile based on Working

Space options in the Color Settings dialog box. Documents without assigned profiles are known as untagged and

contain only raw color numbers. When working with untagged documents, Adobe applications use the current

working space profile to display and edit colors.

Managing color with profiles

A. Profiles describe the color spaces of the input device and the document. B. Using the profiles’ descriptions, the color management system

identifies the document’s actual colors. C. The monitor’s profile tells the color management system how to translate the document’s numeric

values to the monitor’s color space. D. Using the output device’s profile, the color management system translates the document’s numeric values

to the color values of the output device so the correct appearance of colors is printed.