Learn more about and use color management software

Using color profiles in application software

For designers and print professionals, color accuracy in printing is a must. For each image, an input device color profile, a display color profile, and an output device color profile are required.

Specify source color profile

In InDesign, Photoshop, and lllustrator, you can specify a source color profile for an image to see the exact color. Tell Adobe Photoshop or other imaging software to record the color characteristics of the device and how to adjust the color. Adobe Photoshop and other applications recognize the source color profile and automatically match the color characteristics of the source file. Many applications on the Mac can automatically assign a color profile when the image is transferred from the camera to the computer or when the image is opened. The efficient ColorSync workflow automatically assigns color profiles that save time when editing images.

Screen proofing

With a good color management workflow, you can use the monitor to soft-proof the screen, reduce color errors, and save time and money for traditional proofing. When you enter an image into Adobe Photoshop and open it, you can change the embedded or specified color profile to match the color profile to the standard color settings of the printer or printer being used. When you soft-proof an image on the screen, you don't really change the color of the image, but just change its display on the screen. To change the color of an image, you need to convert it to the correct output color profile. All you need to do is select a suitable printer or printer color profile.

Output perfect color

By using the "Proof Settings" command in Adobe Photoshop, you can only preview the colors of a specific configuration (such as printing). In order to ensure the correct color output, the image needs to be converted to the final file format before being sent to the output device. Applications such as Adobe Photoshop, IIIustrator, and InDesign have powerful color management capabilities. Configure colors in Adobe lnDesign, choose Color Settings from the Edit menu, and select Enable Color Management. If you process an image in InDesign, you can also specify the color profile when the image is placed in the document, and assign the color profile to perform color management of the original image. When the document is printed, the image data can be converted according to the source color profile and the target color profile. Select "Print" from the file menu. Then, in the print dialog, select the correct print color profile for the output device, and use the PDF export command in InDesign to convert the image file to a print preparation file or web file to create the correct color profile for the output device. In this way, the proofs that are delivered to the customer and the printing effect are consistent.