Choosing a Rendering Intent
Many applications allow a choice of rendering intents when printing. How do you
determine which intent is best for your work? With Datacolor profiles, it is
recommended for inkjet printers that you start by trying the Saturation intent. If that
is not ideal, move to Perceptual, and finally Relative Colorimetric, to test other
choices. For color lasers, photo labs and other devices, start with Relative
Colorimetric, then test Perceptual, and finally Saturation. Please keep in mind that,
with Datacolor profiles, the colors your printer can reach will print the same with any
intent. Its only the colors your printer can’t reach that will be brought into range
differently using the various intents. Here’s a quick description of each type, as built
by Datacolor:
Saturation Intent:
This intent favors color saturation over hue or lightness when
determining how to print out of gamut color; those colors that the printer can’t reach,
which must be replaced somehow with achievable colors. This intent offers the most
satisfying inkjet color in terms of keeping high color areas in your images looking like
you remember them. For smaller gamut devices, it may be more important to avoid
Hue Bias, by starting with Relative Colorimetric. Hue Bias is most noticeable in bright
colors such as skies, which may print with an unintended hue in order to offer greater
color saturation.
Relative Colorimetric Intent:
This intent makes the most accurate, literal, choices
for replacing out of gamut colors. It is often used for prepress and graphic design
work, for matching spot colors, and for other non-photographic work. Brilliant colors
may be significantly less saturated than with Saturation intent on inkjet printers, but
may better retain their hue with other types of devices.
BPC:
Please note that using the Relative Colorimetric Intent in conjunction with
Photoshop’s Black Point Compensation checkbox can result is weaker blacks than
disabling Black Point Compensation.
Perceptual Intent:
Datacolor’s Perceptual intent falls somewhere between Relative
Colorimetric and Saturation intents, and is best used when an intermediate result is
needed. Use in cases where Hue Shift with Saturation intent is objectionable, but the
