O
VERVIEW
OF
C
OLOR
M
ANAGEMENT
C
ONCEPTS
9
How color management works
Before you can print a color document, the color data in it must be converted to the gamut
of the printer. Whether performed by the Color Server or a host-based CMS, the process of
converting color data for a printer is the same: the CMS interprets
RGB
object data according
to a specified
source profile
and adjusts both RGB and CMYK data according to a specified
output profile
, also called a destination profile by some color management systems.
The source profile defines the RGB color space of the object’s source: characteristics such as
the
white point
,
gamma
, and type of
phosphor
used. The output profile defines the gamut of
an output device, such as a printer. The Color Server (or host-based CMS) uses a device-
independent color space to translate between the
source color space
and the color space of
the output device.
The Color Server allows you to specify default and override settings for the source color
space information and the output profile information (see
Color Printing
). When you use
these settings, you do not need to use the features of other color management systems.
Your Color Server software includes
ICC profile
for use with other color management
systems, although conflicts may arise when the Color Server CMS is used in conjunction
with a host CMS.
You can also use color management systems to adjust color data to the gamut of an output
device other than the one to which you are printing. This process of simulating another
output device is commonly used for proofing jobs that are printed on an offset press.
For more information about the Color Server simulation feature, see
Color Printing
.
The type of print job and the final output device, Color Server or offset press, determines
the workflow that provides the best results. For information about choosing workflows,
see
“Using Color Management Workflows”
on page 12.
Input data
Printed data or file
Color management system
Device-independent
color space
Source
profile
Output
profile
