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Color management and ICC color profiles.
Previously used primarily at the high-end, color management and ICC color profiles are now showing up in laser printers and mid-level scanners. Desktop publishing sort of got along with eyeballing color. Prepress and service bureaus have had to know about color management all along.
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Agfa, Apple Computer, GretagMacbeth, Pantone, X-Rite and comparable companies have been the main players in color management from the beginning. Now a variety of other companies are showing their sophisticated second generation products. As typical in America, upstart companies are forging ahead with innovative products in color management software.
Next time you shop for any printer, scanner, or monitor, be sure it has the ability to communicate its color profiles so that you can coordinate from scan through Photoshop imaging through proofing to final print.
Color management of your monitor is obviously crucial. Barco is the leader in this field and Barco now makes a 20 inch flat panel monitor that can be calibrated.
Here is a comprehensive list and links which we hope will assist you to learn more about color management.
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| Nicholas holds the color management books that he has found useful. On the desk behind is a portion of the color management software that he uses in FLAAR facility at Francisco Marroquin University. |
- Agfa (agfa.com)
ColorTune; Agfa has the best publications; get their booklets; even the ones from yesteryear are informative because Agfa was deep into color management before it became the latest rage elsewhere. But since Agfa got out of the scanner market, I am not sure their ColorTune has continued.
BasICColor (basICColor.de)
This German company has a highly regarded monitor profiling software. In general you can expect German color management products to be high quality. If you are in Germany consult Karl.Koch@color-solutions.de.
Binuscan ( Binuscan.com)
Binuscan is headquartered in Monaco (Europe), but has no relationship with Monaco Systems. Binuscan is independent. Binuscan has provided a set of their tools and software at DRUPA and we will be reviewing it shortly.
- Color Savvy (colorsavvy.com)
This company evidently does not sell to the public.
- Color Solutions (color.com)
The software division of Imaging Technologies Corp (Itec). ColorBlind Matchbox covers scanners, digital cameras, monitors, film recorders, and also printers. For Mac only. Colorblind was, many years ago, rated the most popular solution in Germany by professional graphics people. But reportedly the key people left and formed their own company. We recommend sticking with the industry leaders, Gretag and X-Rite.
FujiFilm (fujifilm.co.uk)
ColourKit version 4 is probably the current version. Probably an excellent software though we do not have it.
- GretagMacbeth (gretagmacbeth.com)
ProfileMaker Pro, One of the top ranking color management companies, still expanding. Gretag makes primarily hardware, but now that their main competitor, X-Rite, bought the largest ICC color profile software company (Monaco Systems), Gretag is featuring its own software rather than sending people to buy Monaco..
- Heidelberg (linocolor.com)
LinoColor comes with their Linotype-Hell scanners; Heidelberg also has other color management software for prepress. Aspects of the LinoColor system have been licensed both to Mac and Microsoft so underlie everyday internal color in your computer software (for Windows, only in recent updates). Unfortunately Heidelberg got out of scanners about 2 years ago so their software is probably no longer updated.
- Kodak (kodak.com)
ColorFlow is not widely used outside of photo labs that have legacy Kodak workflow. Nowadays most people have long ago switched to the industry leaders, GretagMacbeth or X-Rite.
Monaco Systems (monacosys.com)
Monaco Profiler (pro version), Monaco EZColor (entry level)
- Munsell Colors (munsell.com)
Color swatch books for geology, archaeology, and museums. Now part of Macbeth, and hence part of Gretag.
- Pantone (pantone.com)
Being among the early promulgators of color management has not helped Pantone from being overwhelmed by ICC profiles
- Pictographics International Incorporation (picto.com)
Formerly Candela. ColorSynergy.. SInce they have changed names again if the above web site does not work, use Goggle search engine to find them.
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One of the top three players in professional prepress color management; primarily hardware. \
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