Color Management Strategy; The Freehand Color Management Workflow; About Color Profiles - MACROMEDIA FREEHAND MX 11 Use Manual

Color management strategy

A color management system (CMS) interprets and translates color accurately between devices. A
CMS compares the color space (the gamut of colors a device can display) in which a color was
created to that in which the same color will be output, and adjusts the color as needed to match
the color on preview devices as closely as possible to the color that will be produced in the final
output (either print or online).

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 365.
•
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 364.
•
Select the Kodak Digital Science or Apple ColorSync color management system and then select
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 367 or "Using color
tables" on page 372.
•
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 369.

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' websites may also
include profiles.
To use color profiles between Windows and Macintosh platforms, you should adhere to the
following naming conventions:
•
Add a period and the three-letter extension ICM to the profile name.
•
Avoid special characters such as slashes (/) and parentheses.
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