Six degrees of graphic PDF

Print Action, Feb 2003

Another barrier is the lack of colour-based standards in which to transform data to. Again in the real world, job submission comes from many clients and workflows and selecting and using ICC-based profiles upstream from the RIP, as in prepress, puts colour accuracy at risk. For example, there are a lot of profile-making software packages on the market and even if they use the same SWOP data set, variables like black generation, black threshold and Total Area Coverage can be set differently by the profile builder and handled differently by the software vendors. Thus establishing agreed upon workflows using standardized ICC-based profiles is still a challenge.

Brown: The number one challenge of colour management is getting people to understand how it works. The technology exists to have a complete, end-to-end colour managed workflow, but it does take a considerable amount of effort to implement and maintain. In addition, specifications like PDF/X-3 provide a standardized way of creating documents with colour management information that should help its adoption and growth in the prepress community.

Hepditch: Limited system knowledge and ease of use, lack of quality control tools, and the reliability of the system. These three components, while they are often the barriers, are also critical to the system performance.

What do you see as the critical enabler or trigger to ICC-based workflows' widespread adoption?

Hepditch: For many it is reliable system knowledge and support. Many have recognized that this is more easily achieved with a highly integrated and turnkey system. Quality controls are also critical; printers want and need to be able to measure the stability and consistency of colour throughout the production cycle.

Elsman: Further standards in terms of colour spaces for different types of printing and standard profiles made from this data. Time and training to set up real-world workflows that work for client and printer.

Today you can see colour management in image editing apps like PhotoShop, in page layout programs like InDesign, and in the RIPs. The fact that colour management decisions can be made all along the data flow doesn't mean colour management should be used in each instance. This must be understood for colour management to benefit everyone in the chain from designer to printer.

Brown: Very simply, the usability of colour management tools and applications.