The trend of color evolution (1)

In the past decade, color management has a long way to go. Color management technology has changed a lot. It was not until the mid-19th century that there was a common format for transferring color characteristics between different programs. The ICC/ICM file format is a standard way of transferring color information between the Mac and Windows operating systems. There are fundamental differences between the architecture of the Mac and the PC.
Windows ICM 2 relies on individual devices to load a file on a separate control channel, while the Macintosh platform uses a control channel to assign ICC files to all devices. Although both platforms are continuously advancing and developing, there is no platform to store the support methods and applications initially hoped for. Software giants such as Adobe or Quark use parts of each technology, but they do not rely on Colorsync or ICM for conversion. So far, this is still an evolving technology.
The way in which color information is communicated to improve things may not be as bad as it seems. Adobe's Photoshop 7, InDesign 2 and Illustrator 10 all use a common color configuration format, which has greatly improved over the previous version and can support color management and ICC profile identification. Adobe offers a range of applications to simplify and coordinate the exchange of color information.
QuarkXPress's color management window (Edit> Preferences> Color Management) offers a different approach to management. With Quark software, you can choose to convert only objects and images in the RGB format without converting the CMYK format, and you must specify which ICC profile the monitor uses. Adobe’s products are automatically recognizable. After the 5th release, Quark experienced some color failures, but it didn't happen very often. If you use non-TIFF PICT or JPG files, each file will be separated in different ways. It still uses the CMYK output device as the final output tool.
With RGB composite printing technology, designers can use Epson inkjet printing equipment to print images via Quark 5 without Rip processing. InDesign 2 also supports RGB composite printing, and uses the specified ICC profile for each object.
Built-in RIP
The RIP tool offers more options for optimizing color output. While earlier versions did not provide full color correction and conversion support, many manufacturers today support most color management devices such as X-rite or GretagMacbeth. Features such as channel ink control, linearization, and total ink volume limitations are all necessary tools for optimizing ink distribution. In addition, RIP tools now also have the ability to switch between RGB and CMYK formats.
More refined RIP tools can also provide or specify separate ICC profiles for image and vector objects for various color modes, use reference files for proofing, and select specific usage categories for each image. Even with the above functions, some RIPs still do not recognize the built-in ICC profile, nor do they have the CMM option.
Scanners and Cameras Most scanner software supports ICC files, but not all. In general, cameras that support scanning capabilities support ICC profiles very well, while other non-professional cameras are difficult to handle. The establishment of a camera profile is the most difficult and confusing part of color management. There are already a lot of features to choose from, from objects and software programs to creating camera profiles. The biggest challenge for scanner and camera file creation is correct calibration of the device before it is created. This is the most complicated and difficult part.
The goal is to create an ICC profile that can be used for different light and exposure parameters. Color Corp.'s camera profile creation software, ColorEyes, provides a fairly detailed way to create a very useful camera profile. (To be continued)