imagePROGRAF Color Management System Guide

January 29, 2008

Table of contents
1 2 Purpose of this document ...............................................................................................................................4 Color Mangement System................................................................................................................................4

2.1 What is CMS? . ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 What do you need for CMS? .............................................................................................................................................. 5

ICC profile ..............................................................................................................................................................6

3.1 What is an ICC profile? ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 How ICC profiles work . ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 3.3 Aspects of ICC profiles ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.4 Guide to settings ................................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.5 Pointers on creating ICC profiles . .................................................................................................................................... 9 3.6 Pointers on using ICC profiles .........................................................................................................................................12

Workflow for Photoshop output ................................................................................................................ 17

4.1 Setup.........................................................................................................................................................................................17 4.2 Using the printer driver to print from Photoshop ...................................................................................................18 4.3 Using the Print Plug-in to print from Photoshop . ...................................................................................................24 4.4 Using Photoshop's color management function for printing . ...........................................................................28

Monitor matching ........................................................................................................................................... 31

5.1 What is monitor matching? .............................................................................................................................................31 5.2 Why do colors not match? ...............................................................................................................................................32 5.3 Monitor matching procedure .........................................................................................................................................35 5.4 Monitor matching explanation ......................................................................................................................................40

 1 Purpose of this document

The purpose of this document is to assist sales staff when meeting with clients to accurately present the color management function of the imagePROGRAF printer driver. To achieve these goals, we have put together the following materials.

Explanation of color management What are ICC profiles? Pointers on using ICC profiles Description of how to manage colors using Adobe Photoshop and our printer driver  Explanation of the monitor color matching function that utilizes Kyuanos, Canon's proprietary color management system

2 CMS 2.1
What is a Color Management System?

What is a color management system (CMS)? There are many devices that handle color, such as digital cameras and scanners for inputting images, monitors for displaying them, and printers for outputting them. The problem is that all the different devices that do this handle colors in different ways. For example, if you scan the same document with different scanners, each scanner will output different RGB data. In the same way, even if the RGB values are the same, different monitors will display different colors. The same goes for printing. Even if the RGB values sent to the printer are the same, the printout varies depending on the manufacturer and the model of the printer. First of all, the format of the color data may be different. Some devices use RGB others use CMYK. This means that there is absolutely no control of the color. It is input and output to various machines without any adjustment and no way to predict how the color is reproduced. This situation is what lead us to CMS, a system to manage color data between devices.

 2.2

What do you need for CMS?

A color management system is mainly made up of the following three components.

Color profile This is data that defines the characteristics of how color is reproduced by different devices.  Sometimes it is simply called a "profile". It might also be called a "look up table (LUT)" or a "color table". Color matching module (CMM) This is a program that refers to the color profile to compute how colors are converted. Application and driver to run the color matching module
The CMM only converts the colors. To correctly manage colors, the application and the driver need to access the CMM and color profile to accurately convert the colors in images.

Application or print driver

Color conversion

...
CMM Color profile

The most commonly used color profile on the market is the ICC profile.

Windows has ICM and Macintosh has ColorSync for managing colors using ICC profiles. Each
operating system is equipped with its own CMM. In some cases, such as Adobe Photoshop, an application may have its own independent color management system built in. For example, Adobe Color Engine (ACE) is Adobe Photoshop's proprietary color matching module. The imagePROGRAF printer driver has ColorGear, Canon's proprietary high-accuracy color matching module that uses ICC profiles to convert colors accurately. The most important aspect of actually managing colors is to have the "correct settings" in the Print Driver. No matter how accurate the ICC profile is, it is not possible to reproduce colors the way you expect them if the color management settings are wrong. Actually it is common for documents to be printed with some unintentional settings. The following chapter describes how to correctly set the imagePROGRAF printer driver to correctly use the ICC profile.

 3 ICC profile

3.1

What is an ICC profile?

An ICC profile is a file that holds the data describing the characteristics of colors for equipment that input and output images, such as scanners, monitors, and printers. It is a type of color profile. There is now an international standard for ICC profiles. The standard for ICC profiles was established by the International Color Consortium. Companies in the Canon Group have contributed to the development of this standard since the consortium was first established.

International Color Consortium homepage: www.color.org

There are ICC profiles for each different devices, they are used for converting the color spaces for individual and between multiple devices. That is to say, ICC profiles compensate for the characteristics of devices and the color spaces they share.

How ICC profiles work (Image from http://cp.c-ij.com/japan/colormanagement/chapter01/chapter01_2.html)

ICC profiles are not used just by monitors, printers, and other hardware. There are profiles for different types of paper and the color spaces of image data. When these ICC profiles are used correctly in a color management system, it is possible get an imaging device to reproduce the optimum range of colors that exist in image data.

3.2

How ICC profiles work

ICC profiles manage the color information that passes between any two machines. It is possible to manage color information exchanged by different types and brands of devices by combining two or more ICC profiles. The next section shows how ICC profiles are typically used. First, we will describe an example of managing colors between two devices.

Input data from camera

Interim data Camera ICC profile Printer ICC profile

Data output to printer

Color conversion

Color management

Subject

[Managing color data between a digital camera and a printer]

Print result

The main function of ICC profiles is to convert colors from one ICC profile to another. The diagram shows two ICC profiles being used to convert the color data input from a digital camera to generate color data for a printer. This makes it possible to print a photo with colors that are corrected to correspond to the colors of the subject. When data is input from a scanner, an ICC profile for the scanner is used.

Input data from scanner

Interim data Scanner ICC profile Printer ICC profile

Data output to printer

Color conversion Color management

Original

[Managing color data between a scanner and a printer]

Print result

This means that two ICC profiles, one each for the input and output devices, can be combined to convert and correct colors between two different devices.

Of these two ICC profiles, the ICC profile from the input device is called:

Input profile Source profile

The ICC profiles from the output device are called:

Output profile Destination profile

3.3

Aspects of ICC profiles

The advantages of ICC profiles are listed below.

Their use is widespread because they are the industry standard. There are a wealth of general-purpose tools for creating ICC profiles. Many applications and printer drivers support ICC profiles.
On the other hand, the following are some of the disadvantages.

Some low quality ICC profiles are being used.  Some of the commercially available ICC profile creation tools cannot generate high-accuracy ICC profiles. Sometimes, with some combinations of devices, they cannot convert colors appropriately. It is necessary to carefully control the apparent light source in the print out and the actual light  source of the subject.
ICC profiles alone cannot solve all the problems. To start getting print outs in colors that are properly reproduced, you need to use high quality ICC profiles, set the applications and drivers correctly, and look at the print out in the appropriate lighting.

3.4

Guide to settings

The following section describes how to use ICC profiles focusing on various examples of print settings. Refer to the sections noted below for information on operations that fit your needs.

Create an ICC profile

See 3.5 "Pointers on creating ICC profiles"

Use ICC profiles to print from a printer driver

See 3.6 "Pointers on using ICC profiles"

Use a printer driver to print Use a print plug-in to print Use Photoshop's CMM to print

See 4.2 "Use the printer driver to print from Photoshop" See 4.3 "Use the print plug-in to print from Photoshop" See 4.4 "Using Photoshop's color management function for printing"

Print from Adobe Photoshop

 3.5

Pointers on creating ICC profiles

You can get the following results by using commercially available ICC profile creation tools to create your own ICC profiles.

The colors of custom media (media created by a third-party) can be controlled. I  mport the ICC profile that you created to Photoshop, or whatever application you are using, and you can check the coloring of the print out on your monitor. You can fine tune the colors by editing ICC profiles if you have an editor function.
It is, of course, possible to create an original ICC profile for the imagePROGRAF printer driver with a commercially available ICC profile creation tool. Some popular ICC profile creation tools include Eye-One Match and ProfileMaker from X-Rite (formerly GretagMacBeth). Many of the profile creation tools create profiles as shown in the procedure below.

1. Use the printer driver to print a color chart 2. Dry the color chart 3. Measure the color chart 4. Import the results of the color chart measurement with the tool and do the various settings 5. Create a profile with the tool and save it as an ICC profile

Notes

Dry color chart

The time to dry the color chart in step 2 is: From 30 minutes to several hours for pigment ink From 12 to 24 hours for dye ink These figures are only guidelines. If you try to measure the color chart before it dries, you may get ink on your measuring equipment. Make sure that the ink is completely dry before measuring the colors.

Notes

How to use profile creation tools

Steps 3 to 5 may vary depending on the profile creation tool. Refer to the profile creation tool for the correct procedure.

The next section introduces some very important points for step 1 "Use the printer driver to print a color chart".

[Pointers on printing a color chart]

Follow the instructions in the profile creation application to print a color chart. Then the Printing Preferences dialog box for the imagePROGRAF printer driver opens. Select "Advanced Settings" in the Printing Preferences dialog box. The Advanced Settings screen opens. Important ! Choose the correct settings for the following.

Media Type Print Priority Print Quality

Next, click the [Color Settings] button to open the color settings dialog box, and select the

"Matching" tab.

Important ! Select "Off" from the Matching Mode.

Click the [OK] button until you get back to the print dialog box.

Click the [Print] button in the print dialog box. The imagePROGRAF prints the color chart. The following two points are very important when printing the color chart as described above.

C  orrectly select the "Media Type", "Print Priority", and "Print Quality" for printing the color chart. Select "Off" for matching.
The ICC profile is created to be effective for the combination of "Media Type", "Print Priority", and "Print Quality" that are set when the color chart is printed. Be sure to remember the combination of "Media Type", "Print Priority", and "Print Quality" characteristics for the ICC profile.

TIP:

Printed colors appear different because of the "Media Type" as well as the print mode ("Print Priority" and "Print Quality"). If more than one print mode is used, a different ICC profile needs to be created specifically for each of those modes.

By selecting "Off" for matching, you can create an ICC profile using the printer's optimum range of color reproduction. Be sure to select "Off" for matching when printing a color chart. Selecting "Off" when you create an ICC profile means you can use it with "ICC Matching Mode", "ICM Matching Mode" (Windows), and "ColorSync Matching Mode" (Mac).

TIP:

RIP and other output software print using color processing that is different from the printer driver. An ICC profile that is created using the printer driver cannot be used with RIP or other software.

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 3.6

Pointers on using ICC profiles

Using an ICC profile to convert colors when printing is usually done in the following ways.

Colors are converted by the imagePROGRAF printer driver  Colors are converted by an application that has a color management function, such as Adobe Photoshop
It is possible to accurately convert colors when printing from a variety of applications by using the imagePROGRAF printer driver. This color conversion process is done using Canon's ColorGear color matching module. On the other hand, there is a growing number of people who are used to the operability of Adobe Photoshop and like to convert the colors using Photoshop before they print. When Photoshop is used to do convert colors, it is done with Adobe's ACE (Adobe Color Engine) color matching module. This section explains how to use an ICC profile with the imagePROGRAF printer driver. Chapter 4 explains various ways to print using Adobe Photoshop.

Setup
The location of ICC profiles is determined in advance for each OS. Make sure that the ICC profiles (input profile and printer profile) you are using are located in the following folders. For Windows

(OS folder) \system32\spool\drivers\color Example 1: C:\Windows\system32\spool\drivers\color Example 2: C:\WINNT\system32\spool\drivers\color

If the ICC profile you want to use is not in the folder, double click the ICC profile and it is automatically copied to the folder noted above. You can also manually move (or copy) an ICC profile to the folders noted above. (These operations require Windows administrator's privileges.) For Mac OS X

/System/Library/ColorSync/Profiles /User/(User name)/Library/ColorSync/Profiles

If the ICC profile that you want to use is not in the folder, use the following procedure to install the ICC profile. Move (or copy) the ICC profile to the folder (Mac) noted above.

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Next, open the print settings dialog box for the imagePROGRAF printer driver. Open the Color Mode settings to the Matching tab.

On the Matching tab, open the Printer Profile

Settings and select ICC Matching Mode.

Next, open "Edit profiles" in the Printer Profile Settings.

When the window opens, select "Add Profiles to

the list" to open the "Add Profiles" window.

In this window you can select the specified ICC profile, and press "Add" to add the ICC profile. You can now select it from the driver window.

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Pointers on setting the imagePROGRAF printer driver

Open the imagePROGRAF printer driver's print settings dialog box. Select "Advanced Settings" in the print settings dialog box. The Advanced Settings screen opens. Important ! Select the correct options for the following items according to the ICC profile being used.

Media Type Print Priority Print Quality

Next, click the [Color Settings] button to open the color settings dialog box, and select the

"Matching" tab.

Important ! Configure the following settings on the matching tab.

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Setting Matching Mode

Value ICC Matching Mode Perceptual

Remarks Be sure to select ICC Matching Mode. Recommend for printing when smooth tones are important. Recommended for precise color matching. Some tones that are outside the range of colors that the printer can reproduce may be lost. For printing colors that are comparatively brighter than when using "Perceptual". Depending on the ICC profile, there may be no difference from printing with "Perceptual". For reproducing colors including the color of the paper. Depending on the ICC profile settings and paper, there may be no difference from printing with "Colorimetric". For example, if the image being printed was shot in Adobe RGB, then select Adobe RGB. If the ICC profile that you want does not appear in the list, copy that ICC profile to the OS's ICC profile folder.

Matching Method (Refer to the "Matching Method" column.)

Colorimetric

Saturation

Colorimetric (no neutral point compensation)

Select an ICC profile that is

Input Profile

suitable for the image data being input.

Printer Profile Settings

Select an ICC profile for the printer.

Select the ICC profile you want from the ones you created using an ICC profile creation tool.

Tips

The explanations displayed in the list in the printer profile settings are the "Descriptions" recorded in the ICC profile. If you stop the cursor on an item in the list, you can check the name of the ICC profile in a tiny popup window.

Click the [OK] button until you get back to the print dialog box.
Click the [Print] button in the print dialog box. The imagePROGRAF prints the image using color management. The following two points are very important when using an ICC profile to print as described above.

 Correctly select the "Media Type", "Print Priority", and "Print Quality" suitable for the ICC profile. Select "ICC Matching Mode" for matching.

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About matching methods

You can chose from the following matching methods for driver matching mode and ICC matching mode. Driver matching mode Automatic Perceptual Perceptual (skin tone/dark point priority) Colorimetric Saturation Colorimetric (no neutral point compensation) Next, let's summarize how they are different. The three basic settings are "Perceptual", "Colorimetric", and Saturation. The diagram shows how each of the three settings converts the colors shown on a monitor when they are printed.
: Monitor color
reproduction range : Printer color reproduction range

ICC matching mode

Brightness

Brightness

Brightness

Perceptual

Colorimetric

Saturation

The colors are smoothly compressed so the monitor and print colors match. This Perceptual:  maintains the tones in the entire image.  It is set so that the printed image you see matches the image on the monitor. The range of colors that the printer can reproduce are printed without any changes. Colorimetric:   If a color is outside the printer's range of colors, the most similar color is used.  The colors within the printer's range are accurate, but bright colors lose tone. Mapping is done at the maximum range of the printer's colors to produce bright colors. Saturation:   The areas that the printer cannot reproduce are reduced and reproducible areas are expanded.

Auto: The matching method changes automatically to text, graphics, or photo according to the image being
printed. Text is printed using "Saturation", and graphics and photos are printed using "Perceptual". (iPF Series)

Perceptual (skin tone/dark point priority): Colors are tuned by using "Perceptual" as a base and
reproducing delicate gradations in skin tones and dark points. Recommended for reproducing colors in portraits taken in studios.

Colorimetric (no neutral point compensation): The difference in the color of the paper is
reproduced based on "Colorimetric". This setting is often used to proof newspapers.

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 4 Workflow for Photoshop output

In this chapter we explain how to use Adobe Photoshop to print on the imagePROGRAF printer. There are basically three ways to print on the imagePROGRAF printer from Adobe Photoshop.

Use the imagePROGRAF printer driver to print Use the imagePROGRAF Print Plug-In for Photoshop*1 to print Use Photoshop to convert the colors and then print (using the printer driver)
Each printing method is explained here.

4.1

Setup

Let's check the color space of the image data we are going to print before we start printing. In Adobe Photoshop, select [Edit] -

[Assign Profile], and you can check

the color space (profile) of the image data that is currently open.

If the image was taken with a digital camera, then it is probably sRGB or Adobe RGB. To prevent the colors from being changed when an image file is opened, select [Edit] - [Color

Settings] to open the color settings

dialog box, and select the check box for "Profile Mismatches" and

"Missing Profile".

 he following models support the Print Plug-In (as of xx 2008): iPF5000, iPF8000, iPF9000, iPF5100, iPF6100, iPF6200, iPF8100, *1 T

iPF9100, iPF6000S, iPF8000S, and iPF9000.

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 4.2

Use the printer driver to print from Photoshop

To correctly do CMS when printing from Photoshop, the "Color Handling" setting in Photoshop's print dialog box is important:

In Windows, select "No Color Management" In Mac OS X select "Manage colors according to printer"
(The optimum settings for Windows and Mac OSs are different because of the difference in the way the CMS is handled between the application and the printer driver.) You can prevent unexpected color conversion from occurring when the image data is sent from Photoshop to the printer driver by selecting the appropriate "Color Handling".

How to set "Color Handling"

For Photoshop up until the CS2 edition, select [File] - [Print preview] to open the print dialog box.

1 Click "Advanced options" (or "Show other options"). 2 Select "Color Management". 3 Color Handling: Select "No Color Management" on Windows, and "Printer controlled color"

on Mac OS X.

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For Photoshop CS3, select [File] - [Print] to open the print dialog box. 1 Printer: Select the imagePROGRAF printer you are using. 2 Select "Color Management". 3 Color processing: Select "No Color Management" on Windows, and "Printer controlled

color" on Mac OS X.
2 1

Print dialog box in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Next, you need to set the printer driver correctly to manage the colors. If you selected "No Color Management", click the [Print] button. The print dialog box opens.

Click the [Preferences] button to open the print settings dialog box.

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Select "Advanced Settings" in the print settings dialog box. Choose the correct settings for the following.

Media Type Print Priority Print Quality

Next, click the [Color Settings] button to open the Color Settings dialog box, and select the

"Matching" tab.

Important ! The settings on this matching tab are the key to managing colors on the printer driver.

19

When printing sRGB and Adobe RGB images

First try doing the following settings. Setting Matching Mode Matching Method Color Space Value Driver matching mode Perceptual or Colorimetric sRGB/Adobe RGB

Choose "Perceptual" for the matching method to print great images with a balance of tone reproduction and colors that correspond to the monitor. On the other hand, select "Colorimetric" to print images that more accurately match the measured color values of sRGB and Adobe RGB. However, the tone of colors outside the printer's range of reproducibility may be poor.

It is a good idea to use either "Perceptual" or "Colorimetric" depending on the image.

If you are using an ICC profile that you made yourself or received from a media vendor, use the following settings to print.

Setting Matching Mode Matching Method Input Profile Printer Profile Settings ICC matching mode

Value Perceptual or Colorimetric sRGB v3.0 (Canon)/Adobe RGB (1998) ICC profile for the printer being used

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When printing images other than sRGB and Adobe RGB images
If the image input is RGB, but not sRGB or Adobe RGB, use the following settings for printing. Specify the same ICC profile for the image that you confirmed in Photoshop's "Assign Profile" dialog box.

Setting Matching Mode Matching Method Input Profile Printer Profile Settings

Value ICC compensation mode Perceptual or Colorimetric ICC profile for the image "Automatic setting" or ICC profile for the printer

Choose "Perceptual" for the matching method to print great images with a balance of tone reproduction and colors that correspond to the monitor. On the other hand, select "Colorimetric" to print images that more accurately match the input image. However, the tone of colors outside the printer's range of reproducibility may be poor. It is a good idea to use either "Perceptual" or "Colorimetric" depending on the image. If you are using an ICC profile that you made yourself or received from a media vendor, select the desired

ICC profile by selecting the printer profile settings. For any other cases, select "Automatic setting".

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When you have finished the above settings, click the [OK] button until you get back to the print dialog box.

Click the [Print] button in the print dialog box. The imagePROGRAF prints the image using color management.

The following is a summary of the settings when using an ICC profile to print as described above.

Set Photoshop to "No Color Management". If the image to be printed in sRGB or Adobe RGB, and there is no ICC profile, print in driver matching mode. If the image to be printed in not sRGB or Adobe RGB, print in ICC matching mode as matching. If you are using an ICC profile for the printer, print in ICC matching mode.

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 4.3

Use the Print Plug-in to print from Photoshop

A specialized Print Plug-in for Photoshop is available for the imagePROGRAF printer to make printing easier and more accurate.

Features of the Print Plug-in for Photoshop

Printing done with the Print Plug-in has the following advantages compared to using a printer driver. 1  6 bit processing: When using a printer driver to process image data, each color is limited to 8-bit processing depending on the OS you are using. With the plug-in it is possible to do 16-bit internal processing of 16-bit image data to produce extremely smooth gradation. O  perations can be repeated efficiently: With a printer driver, when printing is finished the printer driver settings screen also closes.  However, with the plug-in, the settings screen stays open while printing is repeated. This makes it possible to repeat operations such as "Adjust color" -"Test print" - "Check results". R  eal time preview: Unlike a printer driver, with the Plug-in you can preview the adjustments to color or layout in real time. Checking the image of the print out is efficient because you do not need to print the document every time you change a setting. Managing print settings: The Plug-in automatically saves print settings as [Print history] when a document is printed. By saving print settings from the history to [Favorites] you can reproduce the same print results every time. You use the print settings in [Print history] and [Favorites] for other images also. Sharpness: You can use a sharpness function, which the printer driver does not have.

The Print Plug-in has many functions, but this document only explains the function related to managing colors. Refer to the driver's guide for an introduction to the other functions. Now, let's use the Print Plug-in to print an image. You can open the plug-in by clicking on [File] -

[Export] - [iPFxxxx Print Plug-In].

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The first screen of the Print Plug-in.

Pointers on previews !  The preview is shown on the left side of the screen so as you work you can check the image that is actually printed.  You can check that the preview settings match the "Print Area Layout" and the print position fits the paper. You can use the mouse to adjust the position in which the image is printed.  The preview can be set to "Image", to display only the image, letting you focus on the appearance of image.  You can also use the mouse to trim the print range to just one part of the image.  You can check the position of the image if it is printed on roll paper by setting the preview to "Roll paper preview". By turning on "Perform Proof in Preview", you can simulate the actual printed colors of the image on screen.  In some cases the colors that are actually printed and the simulation are different, depending on the conditions and the environment being used. Also, if you select an ICC profile in [Output Profile] that does not support the print or media being used, the colors of the print out may be different.  Basically "Perform Proof in Preview" is effective when an ICC profile is selected in [Output Profile]. It is also effective for some types of paper (high quality media for photos) even if you select [Auto (Color)] in [Output Profile].  You can enlarge the preview screen by clicking the maximize button in the upper right of the dialog box for Windows systems or the [Maximize Dialog Box] button for Macintosh systems.

24

The settings for managing the colors of printouts are all located on the "Main" tab. This section explains the settings on the "Main" tab. The basic settings such as the media type and the printing modes are along the right side of the dialog box. They are arranged so that you can work smoothly by starting at the top and working down. 1

3 4

6 7

1 Select the imagePROGRAF you are using. 2 Next, select the media type. Click the [Advanced Settings] to set the drying time for the ink

and other advanced settings.

3 Select the resolution, either 300 or 600 ppi, for transmitting the data from Photoshop to the

Print Plug-in. (The abbreviation ppi stands for pixels per inch.) Select 600 ppi if you want a high accuracy reproduction. You may need to decide one way or the other based on the media type.
4 Select the input bit to the Plug-in. Select 16-bit to get a reproduction with smooth gradation.

You may not be able to select 16-bit depending on the media type and the input resolution.
5 It is possible to select some of the following print modes.

Fast, Standard, High, High (High Precision) The selection may change to (1) to (4) depending on the settings.
6 You can select the output profile and the matching method. This is a very important setting

for managing colors. Refer to the following to find the most suitable settings.

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Output Profile: Auto (Color)

The best color profile based on the settings for the print condition is selected automatically. The same color profile as the imagePROGRAF printer driver's "Driver matching mode" is used. This mode produces the highest quality print out for authentic Canon media or media that is the same as authentic media. You can choose from the following matching methods

Perceptual Perceptual (skin tone/dark point priority) *2 Chroma Relative Colorimetric

Output Profile: Auto (Monochrome Photo)

Automatically selects the best color profile for printing black and white photos. The same color profile as the imagePROGRAF printer driver's "Monochrome (photo)" color mode is used.

Output Profile: None

Printing is done without using a color profile to match colors. The maximum limits of the printer's color reproduction range are used. This setting is used to print a color chart to make an ICC profile or to print images when Photoshop has been used to adjust the colors.

Output Profile: Other ICC profile

Select an ICC profile for the printer. Select the ICC profile you want from the ones you created using an ICC profile creation tool. You can choose from the following matching methods

Perceptual Chroma Relative Colorimetric

*2

imagePROGRAF 12-color printers support "skin tone/dark point priority".

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 4.4

Using Photoshop's color management function for printing

If you can use an ICC profile for the printer, you can also adjust the colors with Photoshop before printing. The print out is practically the same as adjusting the colors with the printer driver, but if you want to use Adobe Photoshop to adjust the colors configure the following settings.

How to change the settings for adjusting colors with Photoshop

For Photoshop up until the CS2 edition, select [File] - [Print preview] to open the print dialog box. 1 Click "Advanced options" (or "Show other options"). 2 Select "Color Management". 3 Color Handling: Select "Let Photoshop Determine Colors". 4 Printer Profile: Select a printer profile from the list.

3 4

Important

Print dialog box in Photoshop CS2

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For Photoshop CS3, select [File] - [Print] to open the print dialog box. 1 Printer: Select the imagePROGRAF printer you are using. 2 Select "Color Management". 3 Color Handling: Select "Photoshop Manages Colors". 4 Printer Profile: Select a printer profile from the list.

2 1

3 4

Important

Print dialog box in Photoshop CS3

Click the [Print] button. The print dialog box opens. Click the [Preferences] button to open the print settings dialog box.

28

Select "Preferences". The Preferences screen opens. Select the appropriate printing conditions. Choose the correct settings for the following.

Media Type Print Priority Print Quality

Next, click the [Color Settings] button to open the color settings dialog box, and select the

"Matching" tab.

Important ! Select "Off" from the matching modes.

Important

Click the [OK] button until you get back to the print dialog box.

Click the [Print] button in the print dialog box. The imagePROGRAF printer prints an image, the colors of which were adjusted using Photoshop. The following two points are very important when printing using Photoshop to adjust colors.

Select "Let Photoshop Determine Colors" in the Photoshop settings and then select the correct printer profile. Select "Off" for matching.

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 5 Monitor matching
This chapter describes the features of the monitor matching function used in Canon's proprietary Kyuanos color matching module first used in the iPF6200. Refer to the "Monitor matching explanation" in section 5.4

5.1

What is monitor matching?

You may notice that photos taken with your digital camera look different when seen on the monitor of your computer. And then, when you print the photo, it looks different than it does on the monitor of your computer. Why does this happen?

The image that you see with your own eyes and that on on the monitor or printout are different.

This is because there are differences in the monitor's and printer's range of color reproduction and expression. Because of this, if you use the default settings of your monitor and printer the output will be different. The process of editing photos and illustrations improves dramatically if the colors on the monitor and match the color of the printouts.

If the colors do not match efficiency drops

If the colors do match efficiency rises

Getting the colors on the monitor to match the colors on the print out by considering the differences in the range of color reproduction and expression that cause the difference in the appearance of colors is called "monitor matching". However, besides just the difference in the equipment, the way people perceive colors changes depending on the environment in which they see the monitor and the printout. It is necessary to reduce these differences as much as possible to accurately match colors. First, why is it hard to match colors? The next section explains the reasons.

5.2

Why dont colors match?

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Difference in the way colors are expressed

First, the way monitors and printers express colors is different.

Monitors use "additive colors". They combine the primary colors of red, green, and blue to produce white
light (white). On the other hand, printers use "subtractive colors", they combine base colors cyan, magenta, and yellow ink to get black. Monitors and printers use these different ways to express colors. That is why it is difficult to see the same colors when looking at a monitor and a printer.

Principle of additive colors

Principle of subtractive colors

Differences in color reproduction range

Next, there is also a difference in the range of colors that can be reproduced. The color reproduction

range indicates the range in which a machine can reproduce color.

Let's look at the following diagram. The diagram shows the differences in the range of colors reproduced by monitors and printers. A monitor can reproduce a range of vivid greens, but the printer cannot reproduce colors in this range. However, the printer can reproduce a range of vivid cyans, but the monitor cannot. As shown here, monitors and printers have different ranges of color reproduction which cannot be matched digitally.

Printer Monitor

Monitor color reproduction range

Printer color reproduction range

Monitor and printer ranges of color reproduction

Differences in color spaces

The colors that appear on your monitor are determined using RGB values. However, the colors are different if the definition of the color (color space) is different, even when using the same RGB values. The diagram below shows the standard Windows sRGB color space and the larger color reproduction range of the Adobe RGB color space. For example, if you specify primary green "(R, G, B) = 0, 255, 0)", because the Adobe RGB color reproduction range is larger, even if the RGB values are the same, the RGB green is more vivid than the sRGB green.

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This is why when the color space is not correctly specified that colors different from the expected colors appear even when using the same RGB values.

Adobe RGB (0, 255, 0) sRGB (0, 255, 0)

Color spaces of sRGB and Adobe RGB

Variations in colors with printers and monitors The colors that are produced by devices appear different, even if the devices are the same model, due to individual differences in the devices.
When a liquid crystal screen produces colors, the colors that are reproduced are different due to the inherent characteristics of the LCD panel (color reproduction range, brightness, and color performance). Because of this, the colors of the same image appear different if it is displayed on different models of monitors. This is what causes the colors of an image at company B to be different from that of Company A where the colors were adjusted for printing. Even if the monitors are the exact same model, the colors appear difference due to individual differences and variations in wear. This means that even if company B has monitors that are the same model, the colors are not likely to match. The colors reproduced by printers change gradually over time if the printers are used for a long time. Because of this, even if the colors were matched up, as the printer and monitor are used the colors start to vary.

Monitor at company A

Monitor at company B (A)

Monitor at company B (B) Range of color reproduction for each monitor

Individual differences in the monitors cause different colors to be reproduced

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Differences in lighting
The way we see colors on printed materials changes depending on the environment in which we look at them. Light in the environment strikes the printed matter and is then reflected into our eyes. By changing the lighting where we are looking at printed materials, we change the characteristics of the light that is reflected into our eyes, which changes the way we sense colors. Therefore, if we look at a printed image in different lighting we sense different colors. That is to say, to match the colors on a monitor and a printed image, we need to pay attention to the lighting environment in which we look at the printed image.

Colors look different because the lighting is different Lighting A Lighting B

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5.3

Monitor matching procedure

Regular monitor matching using an ICC profile

What can be done to solve this problem? Normally monitor matching is done by using an ICC profile. An ICC profile is a file that describes the color characteristics of devices, such as a scanners, monitors, office printers, and large printing presses. It is possible to control the uniformity of colors by using these ICC profiles.

ICC profile

ICC profile

Digital camera

Monitor

Common color space

ICC profile

ICC profile

Image data

Printer

The printer driver provided with Canon's imagePROGRAF printer already has ICC profiles that support many kinds of media. It is possible to use these ICC profiles to do monitor matching. However, color management using an ICC profile matches based on the color conversion characteristics of the various devices in a stable viewing environment (e.g. D50). Because of this, it is necessary to adjust the actual environment to this viewing environment. Also, if there is a large difference in the color reproduction range of the devices, there may be problems with discrepancies in the accuracy of the color conversion and how colors appear. To take care of these issues when using a regular ICC profile to do monitor matching, there is Kyuanos, the next generation color management system. This guide explains the features and setting procedures for Kyuanos monitor matching.

Features of monitor matching with Kyuanos

[What is Kyuanos?] Kyuanos is the next generation color management system developed at Canon. Kyuanos automates high accuracy color matching and helps to keep the appearance of colors at various devices the same from input to print out. Some Kyuanos functions use the Windows Color System (WCS), a part of the Windows Vista color management system. [Features of monitor matching with Kyuanos] Monitor matching with Kyuanos has the following features. 1 The matching process takes into account the characteristics of the human eye 2 Supports monitor matching in a variety of generally used lighting environments Kyuanos monitor matching is a standard part of the imagePROGRAF printer driver. This system makes it possible to do highly accurate monitor matching in a variety of normal viewing environments.

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1. The matching process takes into account the characteristics of the human eye The monitor matching systems with general-purpose ICC profiles use the CIELAB color space, which is not device dependent. Because CIELAB is a neutral color space, it is possible to get the colors produced by devices that have different color characteristics, such as monitors and printers, to appear "almost" the same to the human eye. However, discrepancies in the color seen by the human eye and the value of a color that is accurately displayed has become an issue. In 2002, the CIE (International Commission on Illumination: an international body formed to decide how colors appear and how to measure them) established CIECAM02 to solve this problem. The colors of CIECAM02 are closer to what the human eye can sense than those of CIELAB. The following diagrams show the color spaces of CIECAM02 and CIELAB with lines (color equivalence line) indicating where humans see the same colors. In the CIELAB color space, the color equivalence line in the blue area is particularly skewed. This skew is what causes the discrepancies in hue (colors) when colors are converted. For example, the vivid blue area that we see on a monitor appears purple when it is printed. On the other hand, in the CIECAM02 color space the line is less skewed so it has a closer relation to the colors that humans see. Kyuanos uses the CIECAM02 color space to express colors. So even when matching colors with devices that have different ranges of color reproduction, such as monitors and printers, the color conversion is easier making high level processing without the occurrence of hue (color) discrepancies possible. Also, the shape of the range of color reproduction for the monitor and the printer is taken into account during the matching process and an optimum color conversion parameter is automatically generated. This is what makes it possible to accurately convert colors directly from the color reproduction range of a monitor to that of a printer.

Straight color equivalence line

Skewed color equivalence line

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Images with colors equivalent to CIECAMO2

Image with colors equivalent to the human eye

Images with colors equivalent to CIEL *a*b*

2. Supports monitor matching in a variety of generally used lighting environments When matching colors with the previous type of ICC profiles, it was necessary to view the sample in a lighting environment with the standard D50 light source (see the "What is ambient light?" column). However, it was not realistic because of the expense to replace all the lighting in a room with fluorescent lights that can be used for evaluating colors. It was also difficult to accurately match a standard value for the warmth and brightness of colors because of the fluctuation in color warmth and brightness caused by wall colors and outside lights. This is one of the reasons that matching colors of monitors and printers in different lighting environments is so difficult. With Kyuanos monitor matching, the printer driver has a standard function for ambient lighting compensation. This function takes into account the different ways that we see monitors and printed materials due to the "color temperature", "type of light source", "luminance", and other variations in a lighting environment to match colors according to the lighting. This makes it possible to do monitor matching in environments that are outside the predefined light source.

Color matching that is not effected by the difference in lighting

High color rendering fluorescent lamp 5000 K 600 lx Three band fluorescent lamp 4000 K 1000 lx

Matching is done according to how the monitor is viewed

Matching is done according to how the monitor is viewed

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What is ambient light? For monitor matching, ambient light is the lighting condition in the "viewing environment". The way we see monitors and printed materials varies depending on this "viewing environment". Ambient light changes mainly because of three factors, they are "color temperature", "type of light source", and "luminance (brightness of the light)".

Color temperature "Color temperature" is expressed as the degrees Kelvin of the color of the light source. When the color temperature is low it is red, the color shifts to yellow, white, and then blue as it gets higher. Changing the color temperature of the lighting changes the way we see printed materials, even if those materials do not change. Generally speaking, a light source with a color temperature of 5000 K is called "D50" and is considered a standard light source.
2000K
Candlelight

3000K

4000K

5000K

6000K

7000K
Overcast sky

8000K

9000K
Clear sky

10000K

Tungsten light

Standard white

Halogen light

Types of light sources

If the light source varies, then the color we see varies according to the wavelength of the light, even if the color temperature is the same. The quality of a light source that makes things the colors that we see is called the "color rendering property". It is expressed as "Ra" in lighting catalogs indicating the evaluated average color rendering properties. There are three main categories of light sources that are commonly used, "High color rendering", "Three band", and "Normal". Types of light sources High rendering Locations normally used Art museums Studios Printing plants Offices Homes Shops that sell colored items Factories Warehouses Lockers

Features Light source suitable for evaluating colors. These types of light sources are somewhat expensive. "Color rendering AAA" indicates light sources that are used for color evaluation. Light source suitable when both economy and light

Three band

rendering are factors. Commercially available home-use fluorescent lights are a typical example.

Normal

Light source suitable for locations where economy is important but light rendering is not as important.

Luminance
"Luminance" is the brightness of a light. The unit for indicating luminance is the lux [lx]. The brightness of the light where a monitor is located changes the way we see it. For example, if the monitor is located in dim light, the monitor looks very bright with vivid colors. Contrarily, if the monitor is located in bright light, it looks whitish with a little bit lower chroma. Printed materials on the other hand appear to have lower chroma when seen in dim light and are more vivid when seen in bright light.

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Equipment and software needed to do monitor matching

Example of simple configuration

First, let's look at the example recommended for people who want to give monitor matching a try.

Example of full-scale configuration

Next, the example recommended for people who want to do more accurate monitor matching.

Monitor

Monitor you have on hand Monitor with RGB adjustment function recommended

Monitor that supports hardware calibration EIZO ColorEdge series, etc.

Calibrator

Monitor calibrator (filter type) Must be capable of measuring light (luminance, color temperature) such as X-Rite's i1-Display2

i1 Pro scale (built-in spectrophotometer) Provided with X-Rite's i1 DesignLT/i1 Photo/i1 Proof etc.

Calibration software

Software provided with calibrator Eye-One Match (provided with i1 series (free-of-charge)

Specialized software for monitors ColorNavigator (provided with the ColorEdge series)

Ambient light measurement software

Light source check tool Applications provided with imagePROGRAF (free-of-charge)

Ambient light measurement tool Applications provided with imagePROGRAF (free-of-charge)

Applications for displaying and editing images

Applications for managing colors Adobe Photoshop Elements etc.

Applications for managing colors Adobe Photoshop CS3 etc.

Printer

imagePROGRAF printer/monitor matching compatibility Compatible printers: iPF5100/iPF6100/iPF6200 * As of June 2008 * Check the [Paper Reference Guide] for information about media supported by Kyuanos monitor matching. Note
You can display the paper reference guide by clicking [Product manuals] on the [Support sheet] of the [Printer driver]. The relevant files from the User Manuals CD-ROM must be installed.

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[Example of simple configuration] This method, called a software calibration, uses commercially available calibration tools. The advantage of this configuration is that it is comparatively cheap. This is because it can be done with a generalpurpose monitor and uses a calibration tool to adjust the RGB output from the computer.
First, let's use the monitor you have on hand. We recommend you use a monitor with a monitor menu that allows the RGB to be adjusted. First, let's take a look at a filter type calibrator. The X-Rite i1-Display2 or other calibrator that can measure ambient light (color temperature/luminance) is suitable for this. Use the software that comes with the calibrator. You can get the software from the Website for the calibrator or its CD. For i1-display2, use Eye-One Match. Use the light source check tool provided with the imagePROGRAF. Assess the type of the light source used for looking at printed materials. We recommend Adobe Photoshop Elements because it is comparatively cheap and has advanced editing functions and color adjustment functions that support color management. Use one of the printer models that support monitor matching below. iPF5100/iPF6100/iPF6200 For the latest information, check the imagePROGRAF printer homepage.

Monitor

Monitor calibration

Monitor calibration software Ambient light measurement software Applications for displaying and editing images

Printer

[Example of full-scale configuration] This example is for a configuration with a monitor that has a built-in hardware calibration function to do very precise monitor matching. Besides high precision, another advantage of monitors that support hardware calibration is that the calibration work is easy and fast. This is because the monitor is calibrated automatically just by setting the adjustment scale. Use a monitor with hardware calibration, such as an EIZO ColorEdge series monitor. We recommend X-Rite's i1-Pro series. With the models that have a builtin spectrophotometer, it is possible to accurately measure ambient light by using the ambient light measurement tool provided with the imagePROGRAF with the more accurate color measurement function. Use calibration software that supports your specific monitor. If you are using a EIZO ColorEdge series monitor, use ColorNavigator, which is provided with the monitor. If you have a monitor in the I1-Pro series, use the ambient light measurement tool provided with imagePROGRAF printers. We recommend Adobe Photoshop, which is excellent software for retouching that supports color management. Use one of the printer models that support monitor matching below. iPF5100/iPF6100/iPF6200 For the latest information, check the imagePROGRAF printer homepage.

Monitor

Monitor calibration

Monitor calibration software Ambient light measurement software Applications for displaying and editing images Printer

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5.4

Monitor Matching Explanation

1 1.Calibrate the printer.

Calibration improves color consistency by compensating for slight differences in how color appears due to individual variation among printheads or conditions in various printing environments. (See Using Color Calibration to Adjust Colors.)
2 2.Calibrate the monitor.

Normally, you can use a colorimeter such as the i1-Display. Set the white point to 6500 K or 5000 K, the gamma to 2.2, and the brightness to 120 cd, and activate light source measurement. The exact procedure varies depending on your monitor and measurement device.
3 3.Open the file to print and configure settings in the source application.

Display the file in the sRGB or Adobe RGB color space. Configure settings to prevent color conversion by the application. In Photoshop CS3, for example, select Color Management in the Print dialog box, and then select No Color Management in Color Handling.

4 4.Configure and adjust printer driver settings.

Select Monitor Matching in Matching Method. Specify the Monitor White Point set during monitor calibration and the Color Temperature and Illuminance measured in the ambient light. In Color Space, select the color space used when displaying the file in the source application. If you own an i1-Pro, using Light Source Measure Tool enables more precision measurement of the ambient light. Note

If you will print repeatedly using the settings values you set this one time, we recommend completing the settings by accessing the printer driver dialog box from the operating system menu. (See Accessing the Printer Driver Dialog Box from the Operating System Menu .)

For instructions on configuring printer driver settings for monitor matching, refer to the following topic, as appropriate for your computer and operating system.

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1-800-OK-CANON www.usa.canon.com Canon U.S.A., Inc. One Canon Plaza Lake Success, NY 11042

CANON and IMAGEPROGRAF are registered trademarks of Canon Inc. in the United States and may also be registered trademarks or trademarks in other countries. IMAGEANYWARE is a trademark of Canon. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged. 2009 Canon U.S.A., Inc. All rights reserved.

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