Xerox Fiery Color Server Fiery Color Reference

Fiery

SERVER & CONTROLLER SOLUTIONS

Color Server

Fiery Color Reference

45046197 24 September 2004

ONTENTS

CONTENTS

NTRODUCTION

About this manual

For additional information

VERVIEW

Understanding color management systems

OLOR

How color management works 10

ANAGEMENT

ONCEPTS

Using ColorWise and application color management

Using ColorWise color management tools 12

SING

Understanding workﬂows

Standard recommended workﬂow

Choosing colors

ANAGING

Using ofﬁce applications

Working with ofﬁce applications

OLOR

Understanding color models 17

Optimizing for output type 18

Maintaining color accuracy 19

Using color matching tools with ofﬁce applications 21

Deﬁning colors 22

OLOR

ANAGEMENT

FFICE

ORKFLOWS

PPLICATIONS

Working with imported ﬁles 22

Selecting options when printing 23

Output proﬁles 23

Ensuring color accuracy when you save a ﬁle 23

CONTENTS

ANAGING

Working with PostScript applications

Using color matching tools with PostScript applications

Deﬁning colors

Working with imported images

Using application-deﬁned halftone screens

Ensuring color accuracy when you save a ﬁle

OLOR

OST

Using swatch color matching tools 25

Using the CMYK Color Reference 25

Using the PANTONE reference 26

Using CMYK simulations 30

CRIPT

PPLICATIONS

ANAGING

Loading monitor settings ﬁles and ICC device proﬁles in Photoshop 6.x/7.x

Specifying color settings

Saving ﬁles from Photoshop

Selecting options when printing

ANAGING

Adobe InDesign 2.0.1 and 1.5.2

OLOR

Conﬁguring Photoshop color settings 34

Choosing a ﬁle format 37

Advanced tips for using PostScript color management 41

OLOR

InDesign color settings 44

Importing images 46

Selecting options when printing 47

DOBE

AGE

HOTOSHOP

AYOUT

PPLICATIONS

CONTENTS

Adobe PageMaker 7.x and 6.5 for Mac OS and Windows

Windows version requirement 51

Installing the printer description ﬁles for Windows 51

PageMaker color settings 52

Importing images 53

Selecting options when printing 53

Using optional Color Management from PageMaker 54

QuarkXPress 5.x and 4.x for Mac OS and Windows

Importing images 55

Selecting options when printing 55

Optional Color Management from QuarkXPress 57

QuarkXPress 3.32 for Mac OS and Windows

Windows version requirement 57

Importing images 57

Selecting options when printing 57

ANAGING

Adobe Illustrator for Windows and Mac OS

FreeHand 10.x, 9.x, and 8.x for Windows and Mac OS

OLOR

Note about color models in Adobe Illustrator 60

Illustrator color settings 60

Specifying print options 61

Saving ﬁles for importing into other documents 62

Specifying print options 63

Using Illustrator color management 65

Setting FreeHand color settings 66

Deﬁning colors 66

Importing images 67

Saving ﬁles for importing into other documents 67

LLUSTRATION

PPLICATIONS

Specifying print options 68

Optional color management in FreeHand 69

CONTENTS

CorelDRAW for Windows and Mac OS

Deﬁning colors 70

Importing images 70

Saving ﬁles for importing into other documents 70

Specifying print options 71

Optional color management in CorelDRAW 72

ESKTOP

The properties of color

OLOR

The physics of color 74

CIE color model 75

Hue, saturation, and brightness 75

Additive and subtractive color systems 77

RIMER

Understanding color gamut

Printing techniques

Halftone and continuous tone devices 81

Using color effectively

General guidelines 82

Color wheel 83

Color and text 85

Raster images and vector graphics

Optimizing ﬁles for processing and printing

Resolution of raster images 87

Scaling 88

IBLIOGRAPHY

NDEX

NTRODUCTION

About this manual

INTRODUCTION

This manual provides a reference for information about optimizing color printing with the Color Server and improving color quality and performance for all Color Server models. Speciﬁc features and options may vary, depending on the Color Server model at your site.

OTE

The term “printer” is used throughout this manual to denote a supported printer or

copier; the term “toner” refers to either toner or ink.

This manual provides an overview of general color concepts, with a speciﬁc focus on color management for print output. It describes multiple scenarios (called workﬂows ) during which color information can be speciﬁed. It also provides application notes that explain how to print to the Color Server from popular Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS applications.

Color terms and concepts, such as “ appear in bold throughout this manual. If you are new to desktop color, or if any terms are unfamiliar, see Glossary, which is a separate document in this set.

color space

,” “

spot color

,” “gamut,” and “source proﬁle”

INTRODUCTION

For additional information

This manual is one in a set of documentation that includes manuals for both users and system administrators. For a description of all the available documentation, see Welcome. All other manuals should be available at your site. Refer to them for more information as directed in this manual.

For additional information about the topics discussed in this manual, see:

• Color Printing: For detailed information about the color printing options and settings

available with your Color Server, as well as the ColorWise® color management system built into your Color Server.

• Print Options: For information about how to set the ColorWise print options.

For information about performing color management tasks and using ColorWise Pro Tools™, see ColorWise Pro Tools Help.

For general information about printing in color, see “Desktop Color Primer” on page 73 and the sources in the “Bibliography” on page 89.

OVERVIEW OF COLOR MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

To create successful color documents and presentations, you can take advantage of the features of color management software as they are implemented by the Color Server and on your desktop computer. This chapter is devoted to various elements of color management that contribute to predictable color results.

Understanding color management systems

A color management system (CMS) is a “translator” between the color space of the source device (for example, the monitor or a scanner) and the color space of the destination device (for example, the printer). It compares the color space in which the source image was created to the color space in which the job will be output, and adjusts the colors in the document to maintain consistency across different devices. A CMS typically uses a device-independent color space, such as CIELAB, as its intermediate color space. To perform its translation, a CMS needs information about the color space of the source image and the gamut of the printer. This information is provided through proﬁles, often created by the makers of the computer monitor or printer. The end product of a CMS conversion is a printed document or an image ﬁle in the gamut of a particular printer.

There has been progress toward standardization in the ﬁeld of digital color management systems. Both the Windows and Mac OS operating systems support an industry standard format developed by the International Color Consortium (ICC). This ICC format is implemented on Windows computers and on Mac OS computers. Other software developers are also incorporating color management systems into high-end applications. The Color Server color management system, ColorWise, supports this standard proﬁle format.

OVERVIEW OF COLOR MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

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 image 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.

or management system

Source proﬁle

Device-independent color space

Input data Printed data or ﬁle

Output proﬁle

The source proﬁle deﬁnes the RGB color space of the image’s source: characteristics such as the white point, gamma, and the type of phosphors used. The output proﬁle deﬁnes the gamut of an output device, such as a printer. The Color Server (or the 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, there is no need to use the features of other color management systems. Your Color Server software includes ICC proﬁles 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 13.

OVERVIEW OF COLOR MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

Using ColorWise and application color management

The Color Server color management system, ColorWise is designed to provide both casual and expert users the best color output for a variety of purposes. Several applications also provide their own color management system. This manual describes how to optimize print output using both ColorWise color management and application color management.

The Color Server can intelligently manage the printed appearance of RGB, CMYK, and spot

colors. You can allow the Color Server to manage color for most color printing jobs without

adjusting any settings.

A desktop (host-based) color management system uses ICC proﬁles to convert colors from one device gamut to another (see “Desktop Color Primer” on page 73). The color data is converted when it passes from one application to another or when the job is sent to the printer; thus, the processing occurs on your computer, as opposed to the Color Server.

Conventional color management systems typically address only color conversions, and they occupy your computer processor. When you use ColorWise, jobs leave your computer and are processed faster on the Color Server.

The advantages to ColorWise color management versus desktop (application) color management include the following:

•Relieving your computer from performing additional processing. Delaying color conversions until the color data reaches the Color Server frees your computer so that you can continue working, and color conversions on the Color Server are, in most cases, much faster than similar conversions on a host computer.

•Eliminating the potential for undesirable color management-related conﬂicts, such as iterative color conversions and inconsistent color. The Color Server applies global corrections to speciﬁc groups of RGB, CMYK, and spot colors to avoid such conﬂicts.

•Accepting RGB ﬁles in addition to larger CMYK ﬁles from applications, which minimizes network trafﬁc and enables jobs to print faster.

ColorWise uses ICC proﬁles to convert colors to the device gamut or simulate other devices, such as an offset printing press. ColorWise manages color conversions for all users printing to the Color Server from Windows and Mac OS computers. It allows users to follow a simple workﬂow with minimal intervention using robust default settings, while giving advanced users the control and precision they need.

OVERVIEW OF COLOR MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

Using ColorWise color management tools

Your Color Server user software includes several types of color reference pages that allow you to see the range of colors that can be printed on your printer. For predictable color, use the color reference pages when deﬁning the colors in your document.

The resources available are as follows:

RGB Color Reference: A Microsoft Word ﬁle and a Microsoft PowerPoint ﬁle that allow you

to view the colors available in the standard palettes of ofﬁce applications and to see how those colors print on the Color Server (see “Using color matching tools with ofﬁce applications” on page 21).

CMYK Color Reference: An 11-page downloadable PostScript ﬁle of CMYK color patches (see

“Using the CMYK Color Reference” on page 25).

Process Simulation of PANTONE Solid Coated Colors: A 19-page downloadable PostScript

ﬁle of color patches showing CMYK equivalents of PANTONE Coated colors. This ﬁle prints differently depending on the setting of the Spot Color Matching option (see “Using the

PANTONE reference” on page 26).

In addition, you can print RGB, CMY, and PANTONE color charts from the Color Server.

USING COLOR MANAGEMENT WORKFLOWS

A workﬂow is the path a print job follows from creation to destination. In the workﬂow of any job, there are various points at which decisions are made about how to deﬁne, use, and translate color. The choices made, and the point at which they are made, impact the color output produced.

This chapter introduces issues with color management in speciﬁc desktop applications and discusses the interaction between those applications and ColorWise color management.

Understanding workﬂows

The term “workﬂow” is used to describe the path a job follows from its creation in a desktop application to ﬁnal printed output. The Color Server supports a variety of workﬂows with different levels of complexity. There are several points at which color management can be performed on a job (see the illustration on page 14). The information provided at each step (for example, the type of color used) impacts the workﬂow of the job.

Always consider the complexity of the workﬂow. Every time colors are converted, performance and color accuracy are affected. A workﬂow with a minimum number of steps minimizes the risk of error.

USING COLOR MANAGEMENT WORKFLOWS

Application CMS: Off

DOCUMENT

C M

Y K

Spot

SAVE AS (File Format)

EPS recommended

Set ColorWise print options

Disable the color management options provided by the application to ensure that the Color Server receives color data properly and prints it accurately. For information, see the documentation that accompanies your application.

Select colors based on the desired output (see “Choosing

colors” on page 16).

Select ﬁle format based on the desired output. EPS data is not manipulated.

Use ColorWise Color Management as described in this manual and Color Printing.

Printer driver color options: Off

Do not use the color management options provided by the printer driver. For more information, see Print Options.

Calibration

Device maintenance

Color Server

Optimal output

Calibrate as described in Color Printing. Perform regular maintenance as recommended by the printer manufacturer. Use the paper stock, toner, and other materials recommended by the printer manufacturer.

USING COLOR MANAGEMENT WORKFLOWS

Standard recommended workﬂow

The Color Server is highly optimized for the speciﬁc printer it supports. ColorWise addresses issues unique to your printer, including screens, individual toner response, interactions among toners, natural smoothness of blends, and the capability to render spot and custom colors. The Color Server distinguishes text and graphics from image elements, so that black channel information is preserved while parameters used for CMYK color separations are maintained.

The recommended standard color workﬂow uses ColorWise calibration and color management. The Color Server comes into play near the end of the color workﬂow.

For this workﬂow:

•Bypass any color management in the applications and printer drivers.

This ensures that the colors you selected reach the Color Server and ColorWise in a usable form. Consider, however, that ColorWise fully supports color management from applications and printer drivers (see “Using ColorWise and application color

management” on page 11).

•Set the CMYK Simulation Proﬁle option in ColorWise to match the CMYK color space used in the application to select the colors. Any CMYK Simulation setting (except Match Copy, if available) applies calibration, so the response of the printer appears stable.

The recommended values for CMYK Simulation are SWOP in the U.S., Euroscale in Europe, and DIC in Japan—choices that reﬂect the color standard for each region. If colors have been selected speciﬁcally for your calibrated Color Server, set CMYK Simulation to None.

•Set other ColorWise print options as appropriate. For a list and descriptions of ColorWise print options that affect CMYK, RGB, spot, and other colors, see Color Printing.

USING COLOR MANAGEMENT WORKFLOWS

Choosing colors

When working with color materials, whether they are presentations, illustrations, or complicated page designs, you make aesthetic decisions about the colors you use. After you set a goal, you must make the best use of the capabilities of your Color Server to realize your design in print. Your color printing system becomes an ally in this creative process to the extent that results are predictable:

•If you designed a poster to print on the Color Server, you want the printed colors to match the design speciﬁcation.

• If you are printing presentations on the Color Server, you want to preserve the vivid colors you see on your monitor.

• If you are working with color that is to be printed on an offset press, you want the Color Server output to match other prepress proofs or PANTONE color swatch books.

The colors that you deﬁne when creating a ﬁle in an application, and the color management tools within the application that you use, impact how the ﬁle is processed (workﬂow) and the ﬁnal output you can expect.

Use color management to control color output by performing the following tasks:

•Select a color model: Different types of applications use different color models. The color model you select, and whether or when data is converted from one color model to another, inﬂuences the ﬁnal color output.

•Optimize for output type: The type of ﬁnal output inﬂuences your color and application choices.

•Use color matching tools: The Color Server provides several tools to preview colors available on a device and deﬁne them within an application.

USING COLOR MANAGEMENT WORKFLOWS

Understanding color models

You can deﬁne colors in several different color models, most commonly RGB, CMYK, and the spot color matching system (such as PANTONE). Depending on the application you use, you may or may not have a choice of the color model.

RGB colors are used when you take output from an RGB device such as a digital camera or a

scanner. Another use of the RGB color model is for displaying colors on a monitor.

CMYK colors are what most printers use.

Spot colors, such as PANTONE, are special inks manufactured to run on an offset printing

press. Spot colors can be simulated using CMYK toners (also known as process color inks). With the Spot Color Matching print option, you can determine how spot colors are printed at the Color Server:

• Spot Color Matching On uses color tables built in the Color Server to simulate the spot color with the closest equivalent available using the CMYK toners of the copier/printer connected to the Color Server.

•

Spot Color Matching Off instructs the Color Server to simulate the spot color using CMYK

equivalents deﬁned by the spot color manufacturer. These are the same CMYK values used by applications that include spot color libraries. This CMYK combination is then printed with the CMYK Simulation setting you choose, such as SWOP or DIC.

The color model used by your application determines the methods available for choosing colors, as well as the way color data is transmitted to the Color Server:

•Ofﬁce applications, such as presentation software, spreadsheets, and word processing programs, use the RGB color model. They typically transmit only RGB data to the Color Server.

•Illustration applications use both the RGB and CMYK color models, but typically transmit only CMYK data to the Color Server.

•Pixel-editing applications use both the RGB and CMYK color models. They can transmit either RGB or CMYK data to the Color Server.

USING COLOR MANAGEMENT WORKFLOWS

Optimizing for output type

You can use the Color Server for on-demand color printing and for color prooﬁng. On-demand color printing refers to those jobs for which the Color Server is the ﬁnal print device. Printing jobs to the Color Server in preparation for printing on an offset press is referred to as color prooﬁng. Both types of Color Server print jobs can use RGB, CMYK, and spot colors.

Characteristics of on-demand jobs Characteristics of offset proofs

Bright, saturated colors are often desirable. Require the printed colors to match

those from another set of CMYK printing conditions.

Colors are achieved using the full range of colors available, referred to as the full

gamut of the printer or, more simply, device

CMYK.

NOTE: The term “on-demand” applies to producing printed output when it is needed. You

Colors that are speciﬁed for an offset press require CMYK simulation that is optimized for prooﬁng on the printer.

may be familiar with the term “short-run”, which usually applies to the volume of a printing task. Although these terms do not mean exactly the same thing, “on-demand” in this manual applies also to short-run printing scenarios. Because you can print as many pages as you need and can reprint jobs quickly, the Color Server performs equally well in either environment.

The type of printing you plan for the document, on-demand color printing on the Color Server versus color prooﬁng for eventual printing on an offset press, determines the way you deﬁne colors, as well as the print option settings you choose.

•For on-demand color printing on the Color Server, use any application and deﬁne colors in either RGB or CMYK. If your application supports it, you can also choose colors from the PANTONE color library. Choose the appropriate settings for print options affecting color output (for descriptions of the print options, see Color Printing).

•For color prooﬁng, use a PostScript-deﬁned color in CMYK or choose colors from color libraries, such as the PANTONE color library. Placed images can also be deﬁned in RGB or CMYK. Choose the appropriate settings for print options affecting color output (see

Color Printing).

NOTE: The Color Server allows you to use RGB or CMYK data when printing proofs for

an offset press run. However, sending data to an imagesetter usually requires CMYK data.

USING COLOR MANAGEMENT WORKFLOWS

Maintaining color accuracy

For the colors you see on your monitor to match those on your printed output, they must go through color management, including precise calibration of your monitor and Color Server. If viewing colors on the monitor is critical, consider using a professional proﬁling software package and instrument, such as the EFI Color Proﬁler, to create a monitor proﬁle. A monitor proﬁle enables the application to compensate for the color behavior of the monitor when displaying images. As a result, colors previewed on the monitor match the colors more closely in your printed output.

If you are not equipped or inclined to maintain accurate monitor color management, you can opt for an easier approach. Determine which is more important to you: printed colors or on-screen colors.

•If displayed colors are more important, trust your eyes and your monitor. Visually select colors on your monitor, but be aware that colors are optimized only for your monitor. When the document is opened on other monitors, the colors may look different. And even though printed colors may not match those on your monitor, they still print to the Color Server with good results.

•If printed colors are your priority, choose colors from printed samples. By using sample colors, you ensure your printed output remains consistent, regardless of how the colors appear on different monitors. Print the palette of available colors from business applications and select colors from the printed samples. Color reference ﬁles are included on the User Software CD. (For more information, see“Using color matching tools with

ofﬁce applications” on page 21 and “Using color matching tools with PostScript applications” on page 25.) You can also print color charts from the Color Server and select

colors by name or number from the printed samples. Advanced applications allow you to deﬁne colors in the easier-to-control spot and CMYK color spaces. For more information about color selection, see “Choosing colors” on page 16.

MANAGING COLOR IN OFFICE APPLICATIONS

The ColorWise color management system provides complete color management for jobs printed from ofﬁce applications and other applications that do not generate PostScript. This chapter provides instructions for printing color documents from Graphics Device Interface (GDI) and QuickDraw applications, such as presentation, spreadsheet, and word processing applications. Use these instructions with the Microsoft Ofﬁce applications.

Using ofﬁce applications

The Color Server must receive PostScript instructions to print an image or a document. Many applications do not create these PostScript instructions, relying on the printer driver to create them. Included in this category are most word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation

graphics applications. These applications use Windows GDI to display and print when

running Windows, and Apple QuickDraw to display and print when running Mac OS. The term “ofﬁce applications” is used in this manual to refer to these GDI and QuickDraw applications.

All ofﬁce applications handle color similarly, using the same RGB color model used for the color monitor. Most ofﬁce applications allow you to choose colors from a palette of preselected colors. Some allow you to add new colors to the palette using a color picker. Although some applications allow you to specify color using the CMY, HSL, and HSV color models, these applications always send RGB color data to the Color Server. (An exception to this is a CMYK EPS ﬁle placed in the document, which is sent as CMYK data.)

When working with color in ofﬁce applications, consider the following:

• The range of colors that can be displayed in RGB on your monitor is much larger than the range of colors that can be printed on your printer. When you print the document, out-of-gamut RGB colors are mapped to the colors your printer can produce.

•Ofﬁce applications send only RGB data to the Color Server. You control the rendering style of the color conversion with your selection of a CRD.

Each CRD uses a different color rendering style and has a different way of mapping unprintable colors to the color gamut of your printer. For more information about color rendering styles, see Color Printing.

RGB Color Reference (Microsoft PowerPoint)

MANAGING COLOR IN OFFICE APPLICATIONS

Using color matching tools with ofﬁce applications

Your Color Server user software includes two RGB color reference pages, a Microsoft Word ﬁle and a Microsoft PowerPoint ﬁle. You can print these ﬁles using different CRDs to see how the colors appear when printed to the Color Server. For best results, print the color reference page using the same print options you plan to use for your ﬁnal document. Select the colors you want to use from the printed version of the RGB color reference page and use those colors in your document.

MANAGING COLOR IN OFFICE APPLICATIONS

Working with ofﬁce applications

Before printing from these applications, make sure the appropriate printer driver and the Color Server PPD are installed on your computer, as described in Printing from Windows or

Printing from Mac OS.

Deﬁning colors

Ofﬁce applications use the RGB color model. The only way to use CMYK or PANTONE colors is to deﬁne them in EPS format ﬁles with an illustration or page layout application, and then place these ﬁles in Microsoft Ofﬁce documents. Colors in EPS ﬁles are preserved until they reach the Color Server (assuming no PostScript Color Management information was included).

Ofﬁce applications use low resolution to display EPS ﬁles, but the EPS images are printed at full resolution. In general, use EPS ﬁles only when RGB colors are impractical in your speciﬁc workﬂow. EPS ﬁles are useful when using large or complex images that must be printed at full

resolution or exceed the memory allocation of some ofﬁce applications.

Working with imported ﬁles

Your application may allow you to import a variety of ﬁle formats. If you encounter printing problems when using other imported ﬁle formats, such as TIFF and PICT, EPS ﬁles are recommended.

NOTE: If you cannot import EPS elements, it may be necessary to perform a “custom install”

of your ofﬁce applications.

Even when there are no user-deﬁned color management options within ofﬁce applications, color conversions do occur when you import images or page elements that were not deﬁned in RGB. To avoid such conversions with imported ﬁles, use the EPS ﬁle format for non-RGB artwork that is to be imported into ofﬁce applications.

All RGB images placed in a document are affected by the settings you choose for the RGB Source and Rendering Style print options.

Mixing imported image types (Advanced color management)

If you place multiple RGB images, mixed non-photographic and photographic, into an ofﬁce application ﬁle, a single CRD may not optimize output for all the images. In this case, you can have the photographic images to bypass the CRD altogether. To accomplish this, open the photographic image in CMYK mode with a pixel-editing application, such as Photoshop, and perform color correction. Save the image as a Photoshop EPS and import it into the document.

MANAGING COLOR IN OFFICE APPLICATIONS

Selecting options when printing

There are few differences among ofﬁce applications with regard to Color Server printing. To specify print options and color management settings, follow the instructions in Color Printing. To specify these options, you must use a PostScript Level 2 (or later) printer driver, such as an Adobe PostScript Printer Driver.

Because ofﬁce applications send RGB data to the Color Server, your choice of RGB Source and Rendering Style settings are important. Specify the appropriate CRD for the desired color effect (see Color Printing).

Output proﬁles

All color data in the job is affected by the output proﬁle on the Color Server. This proﬁle may be the one designed for your device and shipped with the Color Server, or it may be a custom proﬁle created at your site (see Color Printing). If necessary, print the Test Page to see which proﬁle is the active default on the Color Server.

Ensuring color accuracy when you save a ﬁle

Take the following steps to ensure color accuracy:

• When saving EPS ﬁles, do not include PostScript Color Management information. This minimizes the risk of conﬂicting data and multiple color conversions. PostScript Color Management causes your CMYK and RGB colors to be interpreted by the Color Server as though they were supplied in the Lab color space and, as a result, processed by CRDs, rather than your simulation settings.

•Include ICC color information in ﬁles. ColorWise does not conﬂict with this information, and such data is useful for identifying the speciﬁc color space used by your ﬁles.

•Do not include halftone and transfer functions.

•Turn off color management in the printer driver.

On Windows computers, if the printer driver offers Image Color Matching options, select Printer Image Color Matching.

On Mac OS computers, set the printer driver to include no color management commands at print time (see Color Printing).

MANAGING COLOR IN POSTSCRIPT APPLICATIONS

This chapter provides guidelines for using applications that have the ability to write their own

PostScript, such as some page layout, illustration, and pixel-editing applications. For

information about using speciﬁc applications, see “Managing Color in Adobe Photoshop” on page 33, “Managing Color in Page Layout Applications” on page 44, or “Managing Color in

Illustration Applications” on page 59.

Working with PostScript applications

Most applications used for illustration, pixel editing, and page layout can create the PostScript information they send to a PostScript printer or save in PostScript ﬁles. Illustrator, Photoshop, PageMaker, QuarkXPress, and Macromedia FreeHand are all PostScript applications.

PostScript applications work with color in many different ways. Most allow you to choose

process colors (by entering percentages for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), as well as named colors from a spot color system, such as PANTONE. When you print composites,

these applications send process-color equivalents for named spot colors to the Color Server. In some applications, you can also choose colors using the RGB, HSB, HSL, or other color models.

Generally, PostScript applications send color information to the Color Server as CMYK data. An exception to this is an RGB image placed in a document, which is sent directly to the Color Server (unless you specify special color management settings in the application). In addition, some PostScript applications that allow you to deﬁne colors in RGB or other color models also send data to the Color Server in those color spaces.

Color controls in PostScript applications are typically designed for printing on an offset press, and some adjustments are required for printing to the Color Server. Displayed versions of colors you choose in these applications may not match Color Server output exactly, and named colors may not print accurately on the Color Server, since these colors typically require custom inks.

MANAGING COLOR IN POSTSCRIPT APPLICATIONS

Using color matching tools with PostScript applications

With PostScript applications, you can work with colors created with any of the color models supported by the application. All PostScript applications support CMYK. Some also support RGB and other color models based on monitor display values. PostScript applications also allow you to choose named colors using one or more color libraries, such as PANTONE (see

page 26).

Using swatch color matching tools

Your Color Server user software includes several color reference pages (see page 12). By choosing colors from these reference pages, you ensure that you print the same color from your device. For best results, calibrate the Color Server before printing the reference pages.

NOTE: We highly recommend that you use swatch color matching to ensure predictable color

printing results with the Color Server or match your Color Server output to colors produced by other printers.

NOTE: Swatch color matching does not match monitor colors to printed colors. For this, you

must use a color management system and calibrate your monitor.

Using the CMYK Color Reference

Use the CMYK Color Reference included with your Color Server user software to see how various cyan, magenta, yellow, and black combinations look when printed on your printer.

To print the CMYK Color Reference, download the ﬁle to the Color Server. The printed pages display groups of color patches in graduated combinations of yellow, magenta, and cyan, and smaller patches that include 25%, 50%, and 75% black. Refer to these pages to pick colors and specify process color values in your application. For the location of the ﬁle on the User Software CD, see Printing from Windows or Printing from Mac OS.

MANAGING COLOR IN POSTSCRIPT APPLICATIONS

Using the PANTONE reference

Use this reference (Process Simulation of PANTONE Solid Coated Colors) included with your Color Server user software to help ensure predictable results with colors chosen from the PANTONE color library.

The information printed by this reference depends on the Spot Color Matching setting.

Spot Color Matching On prints swatches that simulate the spot color with the closest equivalent

available using the CMYK toners of the copier/printer connected to the Color Server. The equivalent PANTONE color name/number is printed below each swatch.

Spot Color Matching Off prints swatches of the CMYK equivalents of PANTONE colors as

deﬁned by PANTONE. (These are the same CMYK values deﬁned in applications that include PANTONE libraries.) The CMYK values used to produce the color, as well as the PANTONE color name/number, are printed below each swatch.

To print the reference, download the ﬁle to the Color Server. For the location of the ﬁle on the User Software CD, see Printing from Windows or Printing from Mac OS. If the default Spot Color Matching setting on the Color Server is not the setting you want to use for printing the PANTONE colors, download the ﬁle to the Hold queue, and then override the Spot Color Matching setting using a job management utility, such as Command WorkStation.

For more information about using Command WorkStation, see the Command WorkStation Help.

MANAGING COLOR IN POSTSCRIPT APPLICATIONS

Deﬁning colors

The methods and options available for deﬁning colors depend on the type of PostScript application that you are using.

Color model

CYMK Photoshop Choose colors in Photoshop with various color models, including

Application type

Page layout application

Illustration application

Color deﬁnition notes

HSB, CIE Lab, RGB, and CMYK.

Page layout applications generally use the CMYK color model. Some allow you to deﬁne colors with other color models and may be able to send that data to the Color Server in those other color models. Generally, however, CRDs affect colors deﬁned in page layout applications.

For predictable results with CMYK colors, use the CMYK Color Reference when deﬁning colors in page layout applications (see

“Using color matching tools with PostScript applications” on

page 25).

All illustration applications use the CMYK color model. Although you may be allowed to deﬁne colors using other color models, these applications generally send only CMYK data to the Color Server.

For predictable results with CMYK colors, use the CMYK Color Reference pages when deﬁning colors (see “Using color matching

tools with PostScript applications” on page 25).

Different versions of Illustrator support color models slightly differently (see “Note about color models in Adobe Illustrator” on page 60).

(which affect only RGB data) do not

MANAGING COLOR IN POSTSCRIPT APPLICATIONS

Color model

RGB Photoshop Choose colors in Photoshop with various color models, including

Spot Colors

Application type

Page layout application

Illustration application

Photoshop Choose

Page layout application

Illustration application

Color deﬁnition notes

HSB, CIE Lab, RGB, and CMYK.

If the application allows you to deﬁne colors in RGB, determine whether it converts the RGB data to CMYK before sending it to the Color Server. If it does, this will determine which ColorWise print options affect your job.

For example, if the application converts RGB black (deﬁned in the document as R0%, G0%, B0%) to four-color CMYK black when it sends the job to the Color Server, the option you select for the Pure Black Text/Graphics print option has no effect when you print the job.

If you deﬁne colors in RGB and print directly from the application, the application converts the RGB data to CMYK before sending it to the Color Server. This conversion by the application determines which ColorWise print options affect your job.

“Using the PANTONE reference” on page 26). For best results, use

the color deﬁnition methods described in “Using swatch color

matching tools” on page 25.

named colors from the PANTONE color library (see

MANAGING COLOR IN POSTSCRIPT APPLICATIONS

Working with imported images

You can import images into documents created in illustration applications (such as Illustrator) and page layout applications (such as QuarkXPress). The recommended formats for images imported into page layout documents are EPS (or EPSF) and TIFF. If you encounter a problem using a TIFF format image, use the EPS ﬁle format. Support for importing other ﬁle formats may be provided by individual applications.

All RGB images placed in a document are affected by the RGB Source and Rendering Style settings. The ColorWise color management system applies the speciﬁed RGB Source setting to all RGB data and then uses the speciﬁed Rendering Style (CRD) to perform a color conversion. An exception to this occurs if you assign ICC proﬁles to RGB images using the application’s color management tools (see the following section). In this case, the application performs the color conversion of the image and sends CMYK data to the Color Server.

NOTE: To take advantage of RGB Source and Rendering Style settings for images imported

into QuarkXPress, save images in the EPS format or use the Quark PrintRGB XTension, which outputs RGB TIFF image ﬁles without converting them to CMYK.

Mixing image types (Advanced color management)

If you place multiple RGB images, mixed non-photographic and photographic, into a ﬁle, a single CRD may not optimize output for all the images. In this case, you can have the photographic images to bypass the CRD altogether. To accomplish this, separate the image to CMYK data with a pixel-editing application, such as Photoshop, and perform color correction. Save the ﬁle as EPS or TIFF format and import it into the document.

If your application supports this feature, you can save the RGB image in TIFF format and assign it an ICC proﬁle and rendering intent when you import it into the document.

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