Kodak Color Management Options User Manual

Color Management Options

Operator’s Guide

The Kodak Professional 8670 PS thermal printer (8670 printer) produces accurate and consistent color across software applications and computer platforms. Since the 8670 printer produces such accurate and consistent color, you may not need to use the printer’s color management features. However, if you wish to use color management, the 8670 printer has two color management options, the Kodak Professional Colorﬂow ICC color

Color.

connector (color connector) and PANTONE

®*

Color Connector

When you use applications such as Adobe Photoshop or QuarkXPress, the colors you see on your monitor may appear differently from the colors in the output from your printer. In addition, both may appear differently from your original image. White clouds in a scanned photograph may appear yellow on your computer monitor and change to a greenish tint on your printed copy.

This inconsistency occurs because the methods used to reproduce color vary signiﬁcantly. Monitors and scanners represent colors as a combination of red, green, and blue (RGB), while printers produce color by using various combinations of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK). Input and output devices are also limited by the range of colors they can produce.

Printing Guide

Color Management

Calibration

Network Interface Guide

Color Management

Options

Using Color

Connector

Using PANTONE®

Color

*PANTONE Inc.’s check-standard trademark for color reproduction and color reproduction materials.

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Color connector is a stand-alone application that allows you to make prints that match the colors produced by an input device such as a scanner or monitor. It also allows you to simulate a job as if it were printed on a commercial printing press.

You do this by combining transforms to create documents which contain color management information speciﬁc to the input device you are using such as a scanner, digital camera, or your monitor, and your output device such as the 8670 printer.

Creating Color Connector Files

You create color connector ﬁles by extracting source transforms, simulation transforms, and destination transfor ms from ICC proﬁles.

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Printing Guide

Color Management

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Network Interface Guide

These transforms are represented as “puzzle pieces.” Drag each selected puzzle piece to an empty socket in the color connector template for your job. Each type of transform is represented by a particular shape. Match the shape of the transform with the shape of the socket in the template.

With color connector you can color manage multiple source images on a single page. The template contains six sockets to allow separate color management for the six different kinds of source images.

The color connector ﬁle you create can be applied to your print job or stored in the printer as a default.

er to Using Color Connector for complete instructions on how to use

Ref

this color management software.

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Color Management

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Using Color

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Using PANTONE®

Color

PANTONE® Color

Operator’s Guide

The CD included with the printer contains PANTONE calibrated palette ﬁles for a number of Macintosh and Windows desktop publishing and graphic design applications. If you do not ﬁnd a palette ﬁle for an application you are using, there is a PANTONE Calibrated color chart in EPS and TIFF for mats that you can use to bring custom colors into these applications.

For more information on using PANTONE® Color, ref

PANTONE® Color.”

er to “Using

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Network Interface Guide

Color Management

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Using Color

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Using PANTONE®

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Using Color Connector

Operator’s Guide

This section describes how to use the Kodak Professional Colorﬂow ICC color connector (color connector) as an assembly tool to create color connector ﬁles.

System Requirements

Listed below are the hardware and software necessary to run color connector.

Macintosh Systems

•

60 MHz PowerPC or higher processor with a minimum of 16 MB of memory. (A 150 MHz PowerPC 604e processor with 32 MB of memory is recommended.)

•

Macintosh operating system 7.6.1 or higher operating system. (Macintosh operating system 8.0 is recommended.)

•

a monitor with a minimum spatial resolution of 640 x 480 pixels.

•

a video system with a minimum resolution of 256 colors.

Windows Systems

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Calibration

Network Interface Guide

Color Management

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Using Color

Connector

Using PANTONE®

Color

•

60 MHz Pentium processor with a minimum of 16 MB of memory. (A 100 MHz Pentium processor with 32 MB of memory is recommended.)

•

Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, or Windows NT 4.0 Server.

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•

a monitor with a minimum spatial resolution of 640 x 480 pixels standard VGA).

Operator’s Guide

•

a video system with a minimum color resolution of 256 colors.

ICC Proﬁles

The color management information you need to create color connector ﬁles is contained in the ICC Proﬁles. The proﬁles, an industry standard format for color management, are deﬁned by the International Color Consortium. They contain multiple pieces of color information for input, output, and display devices. This information is individually extracted from the proﬁles and appears as puzzle pieces in the Transforms list box in the color connector window.

ICC proﬁles are included on the software CD that came with your printer. The proﬁles for the 8670 printer for each media combination are installed automatically with the color connector application. Other common ICC proﬁles are also included on the CD. Copy the proﬁles you wish to use to the folder containing the proﬁles that were installed with the color connector application. See the readme ﬁle for color connector for a listing of the ICC Proﬁles included on the CD.

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Using Color

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Steps to Create Color Connector Files

Run color

Step 1

connector application

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Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

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Select and drag transforms to template

Select desired color connector options

Save the color connector file

Send color connector file to printer as a default

Print using color connector file

Calibration

Network Interface Guide

Color Management

Options

Using Color

Connector

Using PANTONE®

Color

HELP

Color Connector Window

Operator’s Guide

When you access the color connector application, the color connector window appears. From this window you can create your color connector ﬁles. For descriptions of the menu items and dialog boxes used in the color connector application, ref

er to “Menus and Dialog Boxes.”

Transforms List

Template Sockets

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Getting Ready to Use Color Connector

Operator’s Guide

The following steps describe how to get started with color connector.

NOTE: The illustrations in this section show Windows dialog boxes. The

dialog boxes for Macintosh are similar and have identical functionality.

Install the software for color connector and the printing software including the export module. The software is included on the CD that came with your printer.

IMPORTANT: For Macintosh users, if you upgrade to ColorSyncTM 2.5,

when

you restart the color connector application, a dialog box appears that explains that the proﬁles shipped with the 8670 printer were moved to the new ColorSync Proﬁles folder. Select the new ColorSync Proﬁles folder as the default location for the ICC Proﬁles

Put any additional ICC Proﬁles in the folder containing your ICC Proﬁles that were shipped with the printer. The default folder for the ICC Proﬁles is:

•

for Windows systems, Windows\System\Color.

•

for Macintosh systems:

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–

if you are using ColorSyncTM 2.1, System Folder:Preferences:ColorSync

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Proﬁles.

HELP

–

if you are using ColorSyncTM 2.5, System Folder:ColorSync Proﬁles.

Operator’s Guide

NOTE: Before you use color connector for the ﬁrst time, you may wish to

complete the tutorial that is included on the CD.

Start the color connector application.

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The color connector window appears.

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Pull down the File menu, and select “Preferences”.

Click on Macintosh) in the Printer export modules folder portion of the Preferences dialog box. A ﬁle selection dialog box appears.

Locate the Plug-ins (Printing) folder, and select the export module for the 8670 printer.

Browse (Select

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Network Interface Guide

Color Management

Options

NOTE: For descriptions of the options in the Default settings for new

connector ﬁles box, ref

Follow the procedures on the following screens to build your own color connector ﬁles.

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er to “Menus and Dialog Boxes.”

HELP

Using Color

Connector

Using PANTONE®

Color

Creating a Color Connector File

Select puzzle pieces from the list of transforms (on the left side of the color connector window) that represent the sources of color data.

Operator’s Guide

Printing Guide

Color Management

The puzzle pieces are extracted from the ICC Proﬁles. Drag the pieces to the appropriate Source Transforms sockets in the template on the right side of the color connector window.

The template has six sockets for source transforms. You can apply independent color management to up to six different kinds of sources in one Postscript job:

•

RGB, CMYK, and grayscale pixel images such as TIFF ﬁles or scanned photographs.

•

RGB, CMYK, and grayscale graphic images such as EPS ﬁles or text.

IMPORTANT: If your ﬁle contains a source that uses PANTONE® Color,

leave the socket empty for that color space.

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Calibration

Network Interface Guide

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Using Color

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After you drag the ﬁrst source transform to the template, the source puzzle piece appears in its socket indicating that the minimum requirement for source transforms is complete.

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Color Management

Calibration

Network Interface Guide

NOTE: If you wish to change the transform you placed in the socket:

•

select a new transform; and drag it to the socket. It replaces the previously-selected transform.

To delete a transform from a color connector socket:

•

select the transform.

•

pull down the Transforms menu, and select “Delete Transform” on Windows systems or “Clear Transform” on Macintosh systems.

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Color Management

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Using Color

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Scroll through the list of transforms, and select a destination transform that matches your output device.

Drag the green puzzle piece for the destination transf orm to the Destination Transform socket in the color connector template.

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The destination puzzle piece then appears over its place holder indicating that the requirement for a destination transform is complete.

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Network Interface Guide

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HELP

Using a simulation transform from the Transforms list is optional. For instructions on using the Simulation option,

er to “Simulating Another

ref Output Device.”

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Printing Guide

Color Management

Calibration

Network Interface Guide

You may enter a description of the color connector ﬁle you created in the Connector ﬁle description box. Entering a description will help you to identify the ﬁle when printing.

Pull down the File menu, and select “Save”.

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HELP

Matching Your Monitor to Your Printer’s Output

Operator’s Guide

The following steps describe how to build a connector ﬁle so that the colors in your computer monitor match the output from your printer.

NOTE: Monitors vary with model, age, and manufacturer. For optimum

results, make sure that the ICC Proﬁle for your speciﬁc monitor model is in the Transforms list.

Your monitor should be calibrated. Refer to the documentation that came with your monitor for instructions on how to calibrate it.

In the Connector ﬁle options box:

•

make your selection for Gamut alarm. Ref

“Using Gamut Alar m.”

•

select the rendering intent that is appropriate for your job. Ref

Rendering Intents.”

er to “Setting

er to

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Network Interface Guide

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Using Color

Connector

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Color

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From the T ransf orms list, select a pink triangle puzzle piece that matches the name of your monitor.

Drag and drop the pink triangle puzzle piece to the appropriate Source Transforms socket. The piece appears in the RGB or Gray socket. You will hear a click.

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Color Management

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Color Management

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Using Color

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Color

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NOTE: If you wish to add a simulation transform to the template so that

the job matches the output from another printing system, ref

“Simulating Another Output Device.”

4. From the Transforms list,

select a green puzzle piece that matches your output device and media combination.

er to

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5. Drag and drop the green

puzzle piece to the Destination Transform socket.

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Using Color

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HELP

NOTE: If you selected a destination transform that was extracted from an

ICC Proﬁle other than one that came with the 8670 printer, the Select Printer dialog box appears.

Operator’s Guide

Printing Guide

Color Management

Calibration

Use the Printer model pull-down list to select the model of the

printer you are using. Click on A dialog box similar to the one below appears that allows you to

select the media for the printer.

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Network Interface Guide

Color Management

Options

Using Color

Connector

Using PANTONE®

Color

The Printer Setup screen may appear differently depending on the printer you are using.

Operator’s Guide

Make your media choices.

Click on

6. You may enter a description

of the color connector ﬁle you created in the Connector ﬁle description box. Entering a description will help you to identify the ﬁle when printing.

7. Pull down the File menu, and select “Save”.

8. To send the connector ﬁle to the printer to save as a default, ref

“Expor ting a Color Connector to the Printer as a Default.”

er to

Printing Guide

Color Management

Calibration

Network Interface Guide

Color Management

Options

Using Color

Connector

Using PANTONE®

Color

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Color Managing Multiple Sources

Operator’s Guide

The following steps describe how to build a connector ﬁle that applies color management to multiple sources in one PostScript job.

NOTE: You can apply color management to up to six different types of

source transforms:

• RGB, CMYK, and grayscale pixel images such as TIFF ﬁles or

scanned photographs.

• RGB, CMYK, and grayscale graphic images such as EPS ﬁles

or text.

You cannot apply color management to multiple images from different sources in the same color space. For example, you cannot apply color management separately to two pixel RGB images.

1. In the Connector ﬁle options

box:

• make your selection for

Gamut alarm. Ref

“Using Gamut Alar m.”

• select the rendering intent

that is appropriate for your job. Ref

Rendering Intents.”

er to “Setting

er to

Printing Guide

Color Management

Calibration

Network Interface Guide

Color Management

Options

Using Color

Connector

Using PANTONE®

Color

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