Color Management > Color management strategy > About color profiles

 

About color profiles

Each device in the workflow must be calibrated to its profile for effective color management.

A profile describes a device's color space mathematically, by mapping the color gamut and other characteristics of each device. The profile is created by measuring the output range of a particular color device under controlled conditions with spectrophotometers, colorimeters, or other measuring devices, and using special software to build the profile.

Custom profiles are more accurate than vendor-supplied profiles. Building custom profiles requires a thorough knowledge of color management and its tools.

The Kodak Digital Science and Apple ColorSync color systems use standard profiles approved by the International Color Consortium (ICC) to help you manage color in FreeHand. These model-specific, ICC-compatible profiles supplied by the manufacturers appear in the FreeHand Color Management dialog box, along with custom profiles.

FreeHand reads all ICC version 2-compatible profiles. Additional manufacturer profiles are available on the Internet at www.colorsync.com. Device manufacturers' Web sites may also include profiles.

To use color profiles between Windows and Macintosh platforms, you should adhere to the following naming conventions:

Add a period and the three-letter extension ICM to the profile name.

Avoid special characters such as slashes ( / ) and parentheses.

Use names of no more than 27 characters in length, followed by a period and the ICM extension. (For example, my_printer.icm.)

Store profiles in the FreeHand ICM folder or in the Color folder within the Windows/System (or System 32) folder (Windows) or the ColorSync Profiles folder in the System folder (Macintosh).