The basics

362 ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 5.0 FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
FINELY CRAFTED OUTPUT
CAPTURE
EDIT &
ENHANCE
OUTPUT
Book resources at: www.adv-elements.com
Color-managed workfl ows >> When color management is not
used the same digital photograph can display differently on
different screens (a). When a tagged picture is displayed on several
profi led monitors in a color-managed environment the image will
appear similar despite the different characteristics of each
computer and screen set up (b).
Color management and printing
So how does color management impact on our printing workfl ow? Well as we have already
seen when dealing with resolution, so much of how we start the digital process determines the
quality of our outcomes. Color management is no different in this respect. It is a fact that the
digital photographer who considers color management at the point of shooting (or scanning),
and then again when editing, will output better quality (and more predictable) printed images
than one who doesn’t. So at each stage of the digital process – capture, manipulation (editing)
and output – your pictures should be color managed.
Color-managed capture – When shooting we should make sure that any color management or ICC
profi le settings in the camera are always turned on. This will ensure that the pictures captured will
be tagged with a profi le. Those readers shooting fi lm and converting to digital with scanners should
search through the preference menus of their scanners to locate, and activate, any inbuilt color
management systems here as well. This way scanned pictures will be tagged as well.
Color-managed manipulation – When setting up Elements we should make sure that one of the color
management options is selected in the Color Settings dialog of the program. This ensures that
tagged pictures coming into the workspace are correctly interpreted and displayed ready for editing
and enhancement. It also guarantees that when it comes time to print, Elements can correctly
translate your on-screen masterpieces into a format that your printer can understand.
Color-managed output – The fi nal step in the process is the printer and it is critical, if all your hard
work to this point is going to pay off, that you load and use the printer’s profi le in the Print Preview
> Show More Options settings. This step means that the tagged fi le exiting Elements will be
accurately translated into the colors and tones that the printer is capable of creating.
Think of the whole system as a chain. The strength of your color management and therefore
the predictability of the process is based on both the integrity of the individual links and their
relationship to each other. The ICC profi les are the basis of these relationships. They ensure that
each device knows exactly how to represent the color and tones in an image.