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| SPECTRAVIEW II - USER’S GUIDE
Using ICC/ColorSync Monitor Profiles
The ICC/ColorSync monitor profiles generated by SpectraView are used to inform the Color Management System
of the color characteristics of the display monitor.
Color Management Systems use this information to determine how to display images on-screen. Depending on
the image editing software package being used, profiles for printers and scanners can also be utilized to create
accurate image prints and scans.
The exact method of loading ICC monitor profiles into the Color Management System will depend on the software
application being used. Most software applications rely on the operating system (Mac OS or Microsoft Windows) to
provide the current profile information. However some applications may have a color management setup where the
display monitor profile can be selected.
SpectraView will automatically select and associate the generated ICC/ColorSync monitor profiles with the system’s
Color Management System.
Refer to the instructions for the particular software package being used to determine how to correctly load and use
the ICC/ColorSync monitor profiles generated by SpectraView.
Adobe Photoshop Overview
When combined with accurate printer profiles, Photoshop can perform accurate CMYK previews or
soft proofs
of
what an image will look like when printed.
The hardware based calibration of the SpectraView display monitor will provide superior results compared to the
basic visual calibration offered by the Photoshop or ColorSync Control Panels.
Note that it is not necessary to perform any of the monitor settings in the Adobe Gamma Control Panel since all of
the necessary monitor calibration and measurements will be done by SpectraView.
In Photoshop, images are manipulated in what is known as an image color workspace. This color workspace
is independent of the display monitor color characteristics, allowing images to be transferred between systems
with different monitor settings without loosing any color information or restricting the color gamut of the image.
Photoshop will convert colors on the fly when it displays the image on the SpectraView monitor, so the colors you
see accurately reflect the file’s working color space.
The selection of an RGB color workspace will depend on the application. For details of the standard color workspaces
included in Photoshop, consult the online help in Photoshop. Note that typically the color workspace will be different
to that of the display monitor. Do not attempt to load the ICC/ColorSync monitor profile as the color workspace in
Photoshop.
When editing an image in CMYK format, Photoshop uses the monitor color characteristics to perform the CMYK-
to-RGB conversion necessary to display the image accurately on the display monitor, which uses a RGB device
dependent color space.
When editing or viewing an image in RGB format, Photoshop also uses the display monitor color characteristics,
together with a set of printer separation tables or printer ICC/ColorSync profile to perform the RGB-to-CMYK
conversion necessary to preview or soft proof a print the image. Printer separation tables are usually provided by
the printer manufacturer or other third party, or can be generated using a 3rd party printer profiling application.
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Outside of SpectraView
