User Guide

Color Management 303
The FreeHand color management workflow
To manage color effectively in FreeHand, you can perform some or all of the
following procedures:
• Calibrate your monitor to adjust monitor colors to match colors in the output
device profile. To adjust the monitor colors by matching them to printed
samples or swatches, see “Calibrating monitor colors visually” on page 304.
• On the Macintosh, apply dithering to simulate colors onscreen that do not
appear in the 8-bit color palette. This option is useful for preparing 256-color
graphics for the Web. See “Applying dithering (Macintosh)” on page 306.
• Build or specify profiles for each device in the workflow to characterize the
device’s color space. See your device’s documentation to learn how to calibrate
it. For more information, see “About color profiles” on page 303.
• Select the Kodak Digital Science or Apple ColorSync color management
system and choose options, or use the Color Tables option for limited color
management. For more information, see “Using Kodak Digital Science and
Apple ColorSync CMS” on page 306 or “Using color tables” on page 312.
• When printing four-color separations using Kodak Digital Science or Apple
ColorSync, choose a Separations Printer profile. To print composite proofs of
color separations, choose a Composite Printer profile. For more information,
see “Choosing printer profiles” on page 308.
About color profiles
Each device in the workflow must be calibrated to its profile for effective color
management.
A profile describes a device’s color space mathematically, by mapping the color
gamut and other characteristics of each device. The profile is created by measuring
the output range of a particular color device under controlled conditions with
spectrophotometers, colorimeters, or other measuring devices, and using special
software to build the profile.
Custom profiles are more accurate than vendor-supplied profiles. Building custom
profiles requires a thorough knowledge of color management and its tools.
The Kodak Digital Science and Apple ColorSync color systems use standard
profiles approved by the International Color Consortium (ICC) to help you
manage color in FreeHand. These model-specific, ICC-compatible profiles
supplied by the manufacturers appear in the FreeHand Color Management dialog
box, along with custom profiles.
FreeHand reads all ICC version 2-compatible profiles. Additional manufacturer
profiles are available on the Internet at www.colorsync.com. Device
manufacturers’ Web sites may also include profiles.