Operation Manual

ColorSync A color management system that is part of the Mac operating system. In
Mac OS X, ColorSync is thoroughly integrated with the entire operating system and is
available to all native Mac OS X applications. See also color management system (CMS),
color matching method (CMM), ColorSync Utility.
ColorSync Utility A centralized application for setting preferences, viewing installed
profiles, assigning profiles to devices, and repairing profiles that do not conform to the
current ICC specification. See also ColorSync, International Color Consortium (ICC), profile.
color temperature Describes the color quality of light. Color temperature is measured
in units called kelvins (K). See also kelvin (K), White Balance adjustment.
Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) An organization established in 1931 to
create standards for a series of color spaces representing the visible spectrum of light.
See also color space, device dependent, device independent, lab plot.
compare image In Aperture, an image set to remain onscreen while other images are
viewed against it. The compare image is indicated by a green border. See also image.
complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) A type of digital image sensor that
is capable of recording the entire image provided by the light-sensitive elements in
parallel (essentially all at once), resulting in a higher rate of data transfer to the storage
device. Tiny colored microlenses are fitted on each light-sensitive element in a CMOS
sensor to increase its ability to interpret light. See also charge-coupled device (CCD),
digital image sensor.
compositing A process in which two or more digital images are combined into one. See
also effects.
composition The arrangement of visual elements in a scene.
compression The process by which digital image files are reduced in size. Lossy
compression is the process of reducing digital image file sizes through the removal of
redundant or less important image data. Lossless compression reduces file sizes by
mathematically consolidating redundant image data without discarding it. See also
decompression, LZW compression.
cones A type of receptor in the eye capable of perceiving color. There are three types of
cone cells, each sensitive to a particular frequency range in the visible spectrum. Cone
cells are capable of seeing either red, green, or blue colors. See also rods.
contact sheet Based on a print preset in Aperture, a printed selection of thumbnail-sized
images with or without associated metadata. Contact sheets in Aperture are similar in
appearance to contact prints made by exposing negatives or transparencies against
photographic paper.
881Glossary