Revision 2 - January 05

Colour Management and Adobe Photoshop CS

Ian Lyons

Though Photoshop CS (AKA Photoshop 8.0) contains many enhancements and new features
we find that the overall appearance remains virtually unchanged from earlier versions.
Likewise the colour management system and settings will be familiar to those who previously
used Photoshop 6 or 7. All of this is good news for those migrating from earlier versions but
colour management and particularly the plethora of options associated with it can leave many
new users in a state of confusion. This essay is primarily intended to help new Photoshop
users and will explain how the colour management system within Photoshop CS should be
configured. That said and before getting into the specifics I think it worth taking a few
moments reviewing the underlying principles of colour management.

Colour Management Primer

Ever since the beginning of colour reproduction, colour management has existed in one form
or another. The basic concept underlying colour management is to ensure that colour data is
processed in a consistent and predictable way throughout the entire imaging workflow. A
typical Imaging System will consist a wide range of Input and Output Devices, and each
device will reproduce colour differently. This means that a colour represented by one device
will rarely if ever match the same colour represented on another device. In other words,
colour is device-dependent. So expanding upon our earlier definition we can say that the
purpose of a Colour Management System (CMS) is to maintain the consistent and accurate
appearance of a colour on different devices (e.g. scanners, monitors, printers, etc.)
throughout our imaging workflow.
Components of a Colour Management System
A colour managed system will require three basic components, namely:

A device-independent colour space - usually referred to as the Working, Editing or

Reference Colour Space.
ICC/ profiles a file for each device that describes its colour characteristics (i.e. how it
sees, displays or reproduces colour).
A Colour Matching Module (CMM) this will interpret the information contained within
device profiles and carries out their instructions on how the colour gamut of each device
should be treated.

The following diagram demonstrates a typical Colour Managed Workflow and shows the
image being passed along the chain - from scanner/digital camera - to - computer - to monitor - and printer with the ICC profiles ensuring that the colour data from/to each device
is correctly described.

Page No 1 of 27

Colour Numbers, their Meaning, and Profiles

A digital image will comprise pixels each of which is represented by a number. This number
will describe the location of the pixel within the image and its particular colour value
(typically an RGB value). We have already noted that since colour is device-dependent the
appearance of the each coloured pixel will vary for each device. We also noted that this is
because each device has its own unique way of translating the raw colour value into visual
colour. To minimise the discrepancies that result from the widely differing colour
characteristics of each device we use an ICC profile to inform the CMM how the colour
values produced by that device should actually appear. This may be on our monitor, in print
or on film output. In simple terms it is the device profile that conveys the meaning of the raw
colour numbers associated with each pixel.
Whilst consumer class film and flatbed scanner software applications are now
ICC/ColorSync aware they tend to be based upon a colour space known as sRGB, likewise
consumer digital cameras. This colour space isnt generally regarded as appropriate for high
quality image editing, especially when print or film output is required, but is quite often all
we can expect to get. An image delivered into Photoshop by the scanner or digital camera
application software which is already in a device-independent colour space sRGB/Adobe
RGB means that it has already undergone a considerable amount of data processing and not
that its an sRGB/Adobe RGB device.
Many Prosumer class scanners and digital printers are now supplied with some form of
generic or "canned" profiles. Whilst these profiles are useable they are rarely accurate. For
truly accurate colour matching you should seriously consider getting customised profiles for
each device and/or media type. These profiles can be created professionally or by buying
your own profiling software. Sadly very few, if any digital camera vendors have adopted the
"canned" profile approach instead opting process the images into a device-independent colour
space as discussed above.
Device profiles come in two basic forms, i.e. Input and Output. Input profiles typically
describe the colour characteristics of scanners and digital cameras, whereas Output profiles
describe devices such as monitors, printers and film recorders. Input profiles are often
referred to as one-way since it is only possible to select them as the Source meaning we can
never convert an image into the colour space of our scanner or digital camera. Output profiles
are two-way meaning we can convert From or To them.
http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 2 of 29

Why bother?
Even though colour correction and colour management are not the same thing they are often
confused with each other, especially by the novice Photoshop user. The colour characteristics
of most imaging devices are such that it is very rare for them to be truly linear (i.e.
R=G=B=Neutral). Sometimes this characteristic is referred to as the device not being well
behaved. Scanners and printers are good examples of badly behaved devices. Obviously it
would be extremely difficult for a Photoshop user to edit an image where a group of pixels
with values of R=G=B=128 (grey) actually appeared to be non-neutral. In such circumstances
colour correction would an absolute nightmare. To overcome these discrepancies we usually
carry out all our editing in a colour space that is well behaved. In Photoshop well behaved
colour spaces are more usually referred to as the Working Spaces, and are always
characterised by having R=G=B appearing neutral. Without the aid of accurate device
profiles the accurate translation of the raw colour data (the numbers) from the scanner/digital
camera into the Working Space will prove very difficult, if not impossible. The translation
from the Working Space into the media specific colour space of a digital printer will prove
equally difficult without the aid of media specific printer profiles.
So the main benefit offered by colour management is that the process of colour correction can
be undertaken in the knowledge that the image displayed on the monitor is an accurate visual
representation of the original subject, and that the final print will accurately reflect the
colours of the displayed image.

Some Photoshop Revision!

Photoshop CS continues to use document/image specific colour settings, which means that
the colour space of each document is independent of others that may be open on the
Photoshop desktop. As with Photoshop 6 and 7 the Working Space defined in Color Settings
only has a bearing on three types of image, viz.:

New images/document
Existing images/documents without an embedded or EXIF profile
Images/documents with no embedded ICC/ColorSync or EXIF profile (i.e. "untagged
images/documents" typically imported directly from digital cameras and low end
scanners, etc.)

Image or document specific colour means that it's the profile embedded within an image that
determines how the image will be displayed (it's appearance) and not the Photoshop Working
Space. With Photoshop CS we can have multiple images, each in its own unique Working
Space, open at the same time and each will be displayed accurately. Of course all of this
assumes were using a calibrated monitor.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 3 of 29

Part 1 - Monitor Calibration and Characterisation

Accurately calibrating and characterising the monitor is the probably the most important
aspect of the colour-managed workflow. The aim is to calibrate and characterise the monitor
so that we eliminate unwanted colour casts and so obtain the best possible display
environment for editing our images. We characterise the monitor by means of creating an
ICC device profile, which is simply a data file that includes a description of the monitors
colour handling characteristics. The profile will then be used by Photoshop to compensate for
the colour limitations of the monitor. Photoshop automatically optimises the display of
images by carrying out an on-the-fly conversion between the image/document profile (e.g.
Adobe RGB, sRGB, ColorMatch) and the monitor profile. This conversion does not alter the
actual image in any way.
Note: Adobe no longer supplies Adobe Gamma with the Mac version of Photoshop; however,
for Mac systems the Apple Display Calibrator Assistant found within Systems Preferences
offers similar features. A short tutorial on Apple Display Calibrator Assistant can be found
at: http://www.computer-darkroom.com/colorsync-display/colorsync_2a.htm
To calibrate and characterise the monitor Windows users should open the Adobe Gamma
utility or a third party alternative. For many new users Adobe Gamma is more than sufficient
and it's free.
Adobe Gamma is a Control Panel utility that can easiest be accessed from My Computer >
Control Panel. Before running Adobe Gamma, it is best that the monitor has been switched
on for at least 30 minutes. It is also best to work in subdued lighting when calibrating a
monitor using Adobe Gamma. Another helpful tip is to set the desktop colour to grey.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 4 of 29

When the Adobe Gamma utility is first opened you

will be asked to make a choice between the Step-byStep (Wizard) and the Control Panel method. It's
probably easier to use the Step-by-Step (Wizard)
method.

Using the Load

pick one that's
default monitor
little difference
start point.

button choose your monitor profile or

close. If in doubt choose the Adobe
profile or even sRGB, it really makes
since all we are doing is defining the

Before progressing to the next step, be sure to give the

profile a unique description and include the date.

Set your monitor contrast control to maximum and then

adjust the brightness control until the innermost grey
square is only just visible against the black surround.
Squinting your eyes helps with this process, as does
keeping the room lighting at a low level or off.

If you're using a manufacturer-supplied profile for your

specific make and model of monitor then in all
probability the Phosphors will be listed as Custom. If
this is the case then leave well alone. If you don't have
a monitor profile choose either Trinitron or P22-EBU. I
keep getting asked - how do I decide which is
appropriate for my monitor?
You can tell a Trinitron monitor by simply looking at
the display area. A Trinitron type monitor will have
two faint lines running across the display area
approximately 1/4 from the top and 1/4 from the
bottom. If your monitor has these lines choose
Trinitron, otherwise choose P22-EBU.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 5 of 29

Begin by keeping the View Single Gamma

selected. However, keep in mind that this option
"ONLY" allows you to adjust the relative
brightness of the monitor.
Adjust the slider until the inner grey square blends
with the outer frame, squinting slightly can help.
Finally, deselect the View Single Gamma
checkbox

This is the step where we neutralise the colour

imbalances inherent in our monitor. Adjust each of the
sliders in turn so as to blend the inner square with its
coloured surround. Again squinting is a great help.
Green is usually the most difficult to get right, but
persevere. The closer you get to a perfect match at this
point the more accurate your final profile will be.

Depending upon your computer type choose either the

Windows Default or Mac Default gamma. In reality,
this choice is not as important as it once was and you
can choose either in the knowledge that Photoshop will
make the appropriate corrections when necessary.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 6 of 29

Choosing the White Point for your monitor is pretty

much a formality these days. Even the die-hards are in
agreement that 6500oK is probably the best option on
most systems.
You should have already set the Hardware white point
via the dials/buttons on the monitor. Most monitors
have a native white of 9300oK; so do check what it has
been manually set to.
Choosing 6500oK provides the cleanest and brightest
white point and closely matches daylight. If you feel
really confident you could select the Measure option.
You can choose 5000oK, but this usually produces a
slightly dimmer and more yellow white point.

Generally, it's better to leave the Adjusted White

Point setting at the default - Same as
Hardware. Nevertheless, this option is used to choose
a working white point for monitor if it differs from
the hardware white point set in the last step.
By way of example; if your hardware white point can
only be set to 6500oK, but you want to set it at
5000oK because that most closely represents the
environment in which it will normally be viewed,
you can set your Adjusted White Point to 5000oK,
and Adobe Gamma will change the monitor display
accordingly: However, choosing this approach will
all cause the graphics card colour LUT to be adjusted
quite severely, and depending upon the graphics card
the screen can look quite ugly on some systems. As
indicated above I recommend that you choose "Same
as Hardware" and thus avoid this problem.

That's it, if all has gone well you will have adjusted
the brightness, contrast and colour settings of your
monitor to the optimum values.
Make a quick check using the "Before" and "After"
radio button. If you're happy that the screen display
now looks more neutral than before press the
"Finish" button and "Save" the profile. Once saved
the profile will be available for use by the OS and
Photoshop.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 7 of 29

There are a number of third party alternatives to Adobe Gamma that can be purchased from
companies such as GretagMacbeth, ColorVision, Monaco Systems or Integrated Color
Solutions (ICS).
The above vendors can be contacted via the URL's listed below: GretagMacbeth - http://www.gretagmacbeth.com or http://www.i1color.com/
ColorVision - http://www.colorcal.com/
Monaco Systems - http://www.monacosys.com/
ICS http://www.icscolor.com
The only advantage of Adobe Gamma (Windows systems) or Apple Display Calibrator (Mac
OSX systems) is that they're both free, whereas the third party products can cost nearly as
much if not more than Photoshop. However, since many third party alternatives use hardware
and not the eyeball for measurement we are generally assured of much greater accuracy.
Useful Information on location of ICC/ColorSync Profiles
Photoshop CS is only compatible with Windows 2000 and XP on the PC platform and OSX
10.2.x or higher on the Mac platform. An upside of this change is that the ICC and ColorSync
profiles are more easily found.
Profile locations: -

Windows 2000 and XP - sub-folder named system32/spool/drivers/color

Mac OSX - ColorSync profiles are located in the ~/Library/ColorSync/Profiles folder

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 8 of 29

Part 2 - Photoshop CS Color Settings

Now begins the process of configuring Photoshop. This is achieved through the "Color
Settings" dialog (figure 1) found under the "Edit" menu (Windows) or the Photoshop menu
(Mac OSX).
The Color Settings dialog is the control room for the Photoshop CS colour management
system, and like all control rooms it can appear complicated. The default colour setting is
called: North America General Purpose Defaults, but this certainly isnt the best choice.
So if the default isnt what is, and how do we make the necessary alterations?
I could answer the above question by simply writing US Prepress Defaults but doing so
doesnt really help explain why. Therefore, I will work my way through each section of the
Color Settings dialog in turn.
Note the Description box at the bottom of the dialog. As the mouse is moved across the
various pop-up menus, etc. you should see a short but informative explanation of what each
menu does. Also note the checkbox labelled Advanced Mode; it's probably best that you
select it now. At least youll now see everything that the Color Settings has to offer, even if
some are only applicable to the most advanced of Photoshop users.

Figure 1 - Photoshop CS Default Color Settings

The first section is labelled Settings and is a simple pop-up menu with a list of pre-set
Photoshop settings plus any that you may have saved. You neednt worry too much about this
section just yet.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 9 of 29

Figure 2 - Photoshop CS Preset Color Settings

If you are upgrading from Photoshop 6 or 7 it should be a simple matter of selecting your
previous saved setup. Notice that Adobe has retained the Colour Management Off option
for those users who find the whole subject too complicated. However, whilst I don't
recommend choosing this option I am aware that quite a few new Photoshop users working
on the PC Windows platform find it the easiest to manage.
Working Spaces
The next section is labelled Working Spaces (figure 3), and as I discussed earlier the
selections made here will determine the Working Space of certain types of image/document.

Figure 3
There are four Working Space types in Photoshop: RGB, CMYK, Grey and Spot
(occasionally called Modes because they appear under the Image>Mode menu). Since
configuring the others follows a similar process I will concentrate mainly on the RGB
Working Space.
Also note that the term Working Space should not be confused with Workspace. The term
Workspace is used by Adobe to describe the layout of palettes, menu bars, etc whereas
Working Space relates specifically to the various colour modes available in Photoshop.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 10 of 29

RGB - Working Space

Clicking the RGB pop-up menu with the mouse will produce a list of options similar to that
shown below. I chose Adobe RGB (1998) because it's the Working Space I settled on when
using Photoshop 5. Notice that Adobe RGB (1998) appears within a group of four Working
Spaces, each of which is device-independent. Typically sRGB will be confined to those users
solely interested in web design, ColorMatch is a favoured choice of many Mac users and
AppleRGB is apparently for Mac web design.

Figure 4
If you look just above the four common Working Spaces you should also find options for
Monitor RGB (green spot in the screenshot), and in the case of Mac systems ColorSync
RGB. Monitor RGB is simply the colour space of your monitor as created by the Adobe
Gamma utility or a 3rd party software/hardware combination.
Its often claimed that Photoshop CS has no obvious way of informing the user which
monitor profile is actually being used. Well, a quick check for Monitor RGB in the RGB
Working Space pop-up should be enough to put your mind at rest. If Monitor RGB is
showing something other than the profile you created when calibrating the monitor it is
essential that you investigate the reason and make the appropriate corrections. It is also
possible to select your monitor space as the Photoshop Working Space, but this is not really a
good idea. ColorSync RGB is only available to Mac users and will reflect the settings chosen
as part of the ColorSync setup.
The actual list of options available for selection as Working Spaces differs depending on
whether you activated Advanced Mode, or not. If you chose to activate Advanced Mode then
the list of available RGB profiles will be quite extensive.
Additionally, if you had previously been using another Working Space such as BruceRGB
then it should also appear as one of the options in this extended list. If it doesnt you can still
create it yourself by choosing Custom (yellow spot in figure 4 above). The dialog box shown
below appears and you simply type in the data as shown for the Primaries etc, but remember
to give this new Working Space a name and click OK.
Bruce Fraser originally developed BruceRGB around the time Photoshop 5 shipped but it has
long since fallen out of favour by the majority of experienced Photoshop users.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 11 of 29

Figure 5 - Description of BruceRGB

CMYK - Working Space
With the exception of the list of available profiles making your choice of CMYK Working
Space isn't that different to RGB. Again, having Advanced Mode activated gives you a more
extensive list. Since desktop inkjet printers from Epson, Canon and HP actually require RGB
data rather than CMYK and so configuring this particular Working Space will have little or
no influence in their actual workflow.

Figure 6
As mentioned above, the choice for you make is pretty much irrelevant if using a consumer
class inkjet printer. In my case I just picked US. Web Coated (SWOP) V2. We can also have
pick the old Photoshop 4 or 5 default CMYK options, the ColorSync settings (Mac only), or
even customise our own settings.
Greyscale - Working Space
With the Greyscale Working Space we have access to two gamma settings, a series of five
pre-set dot gain curves, the ColorSync Grey Work Space (Mac only) and the ability to
customise the dot gain to our own requirements. The screenshots below (figures 7 and 8)
show the various options and a typical customised Dot Gain curve.
http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 12 of 29

Figure 7
Note that if you choose to use a Custom Gamma or Dot Gain this will be the Working Space
listed in the Grey Working Space pop-up menu.

Figure 8
A very important point regarding Greyscale is that its not tied to the CMYK setup! This is
why some legacy greyscale documents might not look quite the same as they did in
Photoshop 5.x (does anyone still use Photoshop 5?)
Spot - Working Space
The Spot pop-up menu is broadly similar to the greyscale, but for spot colours. The options
that we find include a series of five pre-set Dot Gain options and the facility for customising
the Dot Gain curve if required. In my case I simply selected the standard 20% option.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 13 of 29

Colour Management Policies

Colour Management Policies was a new phrase introduced by Adobe with Photoshop 6 and
continues with only minor changes in Photoshop CS. Figure 9 below shows the new default
setup, but this hides a lot of important information.

Figure 9 - Photoshop CS Defaults

This section of the essay is probably the one that will cause most Photoshop users the greatest
difficulty and for that reason the explanation that I give below will appear quite wordy, but
don't be put off.
Basically each Working Space will have the same set of three options, although we need not
configure each identically. These options are called Policies and include: (a) Off
In simple terms, the Off Policy ensures that Photoshop does as little as possible when dealing
with ICC profiles. In most circumstances it isn't the ideal choice and certainly not the choice
to be made by new users. The following explanation will give you some idea as to the
behaviour of Photoshop CS when this option is selected.

Choosing Off means that new images/documents will be created and saved without an
embedded ICC profile. We sometimes refer to them as untagged images because they
do not contain an embedded ICC profile.

Opening an existing image that has an embedded ICC profile matching the current
Working Space will mean that Photoshop will honour the embedded profile and will
subsequently be resaved with the image.

The default Pasting behaviour between images is to retain numerical values (RGB
pixel values), not the appearance. This means that no conversion between colour
spaces will take place and will often lead to the pasted version of the image taking on
a radically different colour appearance to that of the original.

Opening an existing image that has an embedded ICC profile that does not match the
current Working Space (i.e. profile mismatch) will cause that embedded profile to be
stripped out of the image. The image will subsequently be saved with no embedded
profile. With the Off Policy we find that the profile warning Ask When Opening has
not been activated for Profile Mismatches so a warning similar to the following
(figure 10) will appear.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 14 of 29

Figure 10
The problem with this configuration is that the user either accepts what Photoshop CS
dictates or doesn't open the image at all, not much of a choice. Activating the Dont show
again checkbox is generally accepted as a good move.
(b) Preserve Embedded Profiles (Default)
For most situations this is my preferred colour management policy since it offers the greatest
degree of flexibility. The following should give you an idea as to the behaviour of Photoshop
CS when this policy is selected.

Choosing Preserve Embedded Profiles means that when you open an existing image
into Photoshop which has an embedded ICC profile that differs from the current
Working Space then that image and its associated profile will be left intact. In other
words Photoshop will make no attempt to convert the image to the current Working
Space; the original embedded profile will be retained and subsequently saved with the
image. Nevertheless, even though the image and Photoshop are no longer in sync
colour space wise the image preview will still be accurate.

When opening an existing image with an embedded ICC profile that matches the
current Working Space Photoshop will take no action; the image is opened and saved
as normal.

The default behaviour when pasting either an RGB or Greyscale image is slightly
more complex whereby the appearance of the pasted image will be preserved but the
numbers will change (i.e. the pixel values will change). In the case of CMYK it is the
numbers that will be retained, not the appearance.

If the image being opened or imported has no embedded ICC profile (i.e. the image is
untagged) then Photoshop will use the current Working Space for editing and
previewing purposes. However, the profile will not be embedded into the image when
it is subsequently saved.

Creating a new document with this policy setting means that the current Working
Space is used for editing, previewing. The associated profile will eventually be
embedded into the file when saved. However, the default Working Space profile for
new documents can be overridden in the New document dialog.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 15 of 29

The following warning (figure 11) will appear if the profile warning Ask When Opening has
not been activated for Profile Mismatches. Again, my earlier comment about Photoshop
imposing its will on proceedings applies.

Figure 11
At first glance the above warning appears virtually identical to that shown for the OFF
Policy, but there is a subtle difference - the embedded ICC profile is retained rather than
discarded. Compare the text of the two screenshots (figure 10 and 11) if you're in any doubt
as to the differences. Again you may wish to tick the Don't show again checkbox so as to
stop this warning reappearing in the future.
(c) Convert to Working Space
This policy behaves in an almost identical fashion to colour management Photoshop 5. It's for
this reason that many still tend to favour it. Actually this policy isn't a bad choice but does
need to be treated with care.

If an existing image with no embedded ICC profile is opened or imported into

Photoshop then the current Working Space will be used for editing and previewing.
However, there will be no profile embedded into the image when it is saved (i.e. the
resulting image will be untagged).

If an image is opened or imported and has an embedded ICC profile which is found to
differ from the current Working Space then that image will be converted into, and
subsequently saved in the Working Space. When the image and the Working Space
are matched then Photoshop takes no action; the image is opened and saved as
normal. Newly created images will be edited, previewed and ultimately saved in the
current Working Space.

Finally, the default pasting behaviour is to convert and thus preserve the appearance
of the image. However, the user will get the option not to convert the pasted image,
hence preserving the numbers if the pasted image doesn't match with the target image.
Overriding the Default Policy Behaviour

The previous section described how our choice of Colour Management Policy determined the
default behaviour of Photoshop CS under various scenarios. However, we need not be
confined to these pre-set outcomes. A much better option would be to configure the Colour
Management Policies as shown in figure 12 overleaf.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 16 of 29

Figure 12
Here we can see that each of the checkboxes for Profile Mismatches and Missing Profiles
be set for Ask When Opening or Ask When Pasting as appropriate. It is only through
setting these checkboxes to ON that we can enable the default behaviour override facility.
Basically the three checkboxes have the following impact on the Colour Management
Policies: (i) Profile Mismatches: Ask When Opening
Photoshop has been set to present the user with a warning when the image being opened or
imported has an embedded profile that does not match the current Working Space. The
warning looks like figure 13 below and contains three options with the pre-set selection being
dependent upon the Colour Management Policy in operation at the time. Noticed that all the
necessary information required to make an informed decision is present.

Figure 13
The above example is pre-set for how the dialog would appear when the Colour Management
Policy is set for Preserve Embedded Profile. The user can choose to leave the image as is
(default - Use the embedded profile), allow the conversion (Convert document's colors to the
Working Space) or strip out the embedded profile and switch off colour management
(Discard the embedded profile). Had the policy been Convert to Working Space the dialog
would have looked almost identical except that it would have been pre-set for Convert
document's colours to Working Space. Basically, the answer to the question: How do you
want to proceed? is already decided for you when the Embedded Profile Mismatch dialog
appears. If you KNOW this answer to be incorrect then by all means make an alternative
selection otherwise leave well alone and click OK.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 17 of 29

I think you will agree that the warning in figure 13 is a lot more user friendly than the one
that appears under similar circumstances when Ask When Opening is unchecked (i.e. figure
10 above). At least with this option we now have the opportunity to assign an alternative
profile to the image before it opens.
Now that Photoshop CS can read the EXIF colour space information it's likely that many
consumer class digital camera users will be seeing this particular warning on a regular basis.
Since no benefit will be gained by converting the image from say sRGB to Adobe RGB
(1998) the best choice in such circumstances is to leave the default Use the Embedded Profile
rather than be tempted to choose Convert document's colours to Working Space.
Users of high-end cameras such as the Canon EOS 1 or Nikon D series have the facility to
program the camera so that it processes images into a colour space such Adobe RGB (1998).
In this situation the user will know that the profile mismatch warning is incorrect and should
choose to either accept the embedded profile or discard it. However, they must then use the
Assign Profile command to assign the correct profile. Both methods are equally valid. Assign
Profile does not change the actual image only its appearance. Assign Profile and Convert to
Profile are discussed later.
(ii) Missing Profiles: Ask When Opening
Choosing this option means that Photoshop has been set to present the user with a warning
when the image being opened has no embedded ICC profile. The warning looks similar to the
following (figure 14) and again contains three options. The pre-set or default selection is
dependent upon the Colour Management Policy in operation at the time.

Figure 14
The above example is pre-set for how the dialog would appear when the Colour Management
Policy is set for Preserve Embedded Profile. Since no profile is embedded Photoshop will try
to assign the Working Space profile to the image. No conversion takes place, just the
assignment of the Working Space profile.
The lower Assign Profile (and the associated and then convert to working RGB) checkbox is
the best choice if you know the source images' true colour space and you want the image to
appear correctly in Photoshop. Typically, this option will be used for images from a digital
camera or similar device that does not embed a profile in the image file or provide accurate
EXIF colour space information. Note that the source profile MUST be known and available
to the user before this option can be selected.
http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 18 of 29

(iii) Paste Profile Mismatches: Ask When Opening

Figure 15 below shows the Paste Profile Mismatch warning that appears in the event of the
colour spaces of the two images not matching.

Figure 15
Note that the terms preserve colour appearance and colour numbers relate to the source
image, not the destination.
The various warning dialog boxes shown above are only a sample of those that may appear as
you open or import images that contravene the defined Colour Management Policy.
However, I think that the text messages included in each should be more than ample to
explain what each option does and will therefore allow you to make the appropriate choice.
Conversion Options
This section will only be present in the Color Setting dialog if the user chooses to activate the
Advanced checkbox. Figure 16 shows this section of the Color Setting dialog in its default
configuration.

Figure 16
Engine: this is the name of the engine, which will be used for all colour space conversions.
Unless you have good reason to choose an alternative your should leave it at the default
Adobe ACE setting. ACE is the direct equivalent of the Built-in engine used in Photoshop 5.
Windows users should NOT be tempted to choose ICM. Mac users should keep in mind that
the option chosen here will override the selection made in the ColorSync setup. Choosing the
ColorSync engine is for Mac users as a bad a choice as Windows users choosing ICM.
http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 19 of 29

Intent: this pop-up menu allows the user to select from four different rendering intents,
namely Perceptual, Saturation, Relative Colorimetric and Absolute Colorimetric. Typically,
most users will choose between either Relative Colorimetric or Perceptual. A short
description on each is provided in the Description section of the Colour Settings dialog. A
more comprehensive explanation can be found in the Photoshop on-line help files.
With Relative Colorimetric it is only those source colours that are out of gamut (i.e. can't be
viewed/printed accurately within the destination colour space) that will be mapped to the
closest in-gamut colour, the remainder are left unchanged. This means that in the case of
images with lots of out-of-gamut colours the visual relationship between the colours (after
conversion) will almost certainly change. With Perceptual, all colours of the source colour
space will be mapped to the nearest in-gamut colour of the destination colour space thus
maintaining the visual relationship between colours. In other words, with Perceptual the
whole image colour gamut will be compressed so that it fits within the new colour space. The
Photoshop default and my recommendation is Relative Colorimetric.
Use Black Point Compensation: this should be kept checked. Black Point Compensation
ensures that the darkest neutrals of the source colour space are mapped to the darkest neutrals
of the destination colour space. In most circumstances toggling BPC ON and OFF will result
in no obvious change to the image appearance.
Use Dither (8-bit/channel images): as with Black Point Compensation this should be kept
checked. The description box at the bottom of the Colour Settings dialog box will give you
some clue as to what it does.
Advanced Controls
As with the Conversion options, this section will only be present in the Colour Settings
dialog if the user chooses to activate the Advanced checkbox. Figure 17 shows this section of
the Colour Settings dialog in its default configuration.

Figure 17
An explanation on what each of these options do is provided in the Description box and online helps files. The consensus appears to be that both settings should be left in the default
Off condition.
The Desaturate Monitor Colour option is the one that has greatest potential to cause
confusion, as it will result in the image preview to become progressively less saturated as the
percentage is increased. Those choosing to work in VERY wide colour spaces may find it
useful, however, the majority of Photoshop users should leave it Off.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 20 of 29

Saving Out Your Own Default Colour Settings

Select the Save button and give your settings a Name and Description by which you can call
them back in the future, if for some reason you make a temporary change. Also note that you
can have as many different sets of settings as you wish, although only one can be active at a
time. Figure 18 shows my preferred colour settings. Notice that I have chosen to use a
customised dot gain for the greyscale Working Space; you shouldn't try to repeat these
particular settings since it is specific to my workflow.

Figure 18 - Customised Colour Settings Configuration

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 21 of 29

Part 3 - Soft Proofing

A frequently asked Photoshop questions is: why don't my prints match the screen? Generally
it's down to poor monitor calibration, but on other occasions it's simply the fact that the user
has unrealistically high expectations of what can be printed or theyve made the wrong
selection in the Photoshop Print with Preview dialog.
This section will discuss the options and commands associated with the Photoshop CS Soft
Proof feature and should also go some way to answering the above question. However, you
should note that I haven't included any reference to specific printer driver set-ups as these
have been covered in a dedicated tutorial at: http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps7_print/ps7_print_mac.htm
Basically soft proofing is nothing more than using your monitor as a proofing device.
However, accurate proofing is dependent upon the quality and accuracy of the monitor
profile that I described in Part 1. Youll also need good quality media profiles for each
printer/media/ink combination.
In order that we may get Photoshop in a state ready for soft proofing we must configure the
relevant dialogs. This is done via the View > Proof Setup > Custom menu as shown below.

Proof Setup only affects the current or active image on your desktop. So if you want to define
your own default Proof Setup (as wise move) you MUST configure the proof setup via the
Custom menu option with NO image/document open.
The various proofing options are:

Working CMYK - soft proofs the image using the current CMYK Working Space
defined in the Colour Settings dialog.

Working Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black Plate or Working CMY Plates - soft
proofs the image using the current CMYK Working Space defined in the Colour
Settings dialog.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 22 of 29

Macintosh RGB and Windows RGB - soft proofs the image using the standard Mac or
Windows monitor profile (i.e. Apple RGB and sRGB respectively).

Monitor RGB - soft proofs the image using your actual monitor profile. If the image
look bad when this option is selected you know that your monitor profile is broken
and needs to be recreated as described in Part 1.

Simulate Paper White - provides a preview of the shade of white for the paper based
upon the active soft proof profile. This option requires a very accurate profile
otherwise the whites of the image can appear significantly more blue/yellow than it
should.

Simulate Ink Black - provides a preview of the dynamic range of the image based
upon the active soft proof profile.

The screenshot below shows a typical view of the Proof Setup dialog for an Epson inkjet
printer simulation. From this dialog we can easily select, configure and save our own
customised soft proofing setup for any number of different printer profiles. Remember; make
sure you have NO images/documents open when going through the process of defining your
own default Soft Proof profile.

We begin the process by choosing the Profile; in the example shown above I have selected
the Epson profile for Premium Glossy paper. This choice will be the profile for the media that
we want to simulate on the monitor.
Preserve Colour Numbers:
This option will only be available if the image and profiles are in sync, i.e. both are
RGB or both are CMYK. Selecting the Preserve Colour Numbers checkbox will
usually result in a quite awful looking display, this is how it should be. Basically we
are simulating how the document/image will appear if it is not converted to the actual
device profile.
One use of this option is to enable you to see how the image would print if the media
profile had not been selected in the Profile pop-up menu. There are apparently others,
but these all well beyond my understanding. Normally it is best the leave the
checkbox unchecked.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 23 of 29

Use Black Point Compensation:

I described Use Black Point Compensation previously when discussing the Conversion
Engines. Typically, it will be best to keep it checked.
Intent:
Intent is the setting that appears to cause most confusion and its generally worth
trying both Relative Colorimetric and Perceptual. Typically Relative Colorimetric
will be best but some highly saturated images may benefit from choosing Perceptual.
Simulate:
There are two options (or checkboxes) shown in this section of the Proof Setup
dialog. The first Paper White allows you to simulate, on the monitor, the shade/colour
of the paper white. The second Ink Black will enable you to simulate, on your
monitor, the dynamic range defined by the media profile (i.e. how dark black will
appear on the media you are printing to). Note that selecting the Paper White
checkbox will cause the Ink Black to be selected and greyed out. Not all profiles will
support both options.
The resulting soft proof display can be quite disconcerting in that the overall tone of
the image may tend to look compressed or slightly colour shifted (e.g. white takes on
a blue cast). This can often occur when using scanner derived printer profiles. In such
circumstances it may be best to ignore the use of the Paper White and Ink Black since
it is VERY unlikely that they are in fact providing an accurate soft proof. No doubt
things will improve as the suppliers of the profiling software update their programs to
be compatible with this Photoshop feature.
To save your customised proof setup simply choose the Save button and give the soft proof
profile a name that clearly indicates the printer/media combination for which it should be
used. The name of a saved soft profile will be appended onto the bottom of the list
immediately below Simulate Ink Black.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 24 of 29

The saved soft proof profiles are saved to the following locations:

Windows - Program Files/Common Files/Adobe/Color/Proofing folder

Mac OSX - ~Library/Application Support/Adobe/Color/Proofing folder

A comprehensive tutorial describing the technique of soft proofing is provided at:

http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps6_softproof/ps6_softproof_1.htm

Part 4 - Managing Image/Document Colour Space

On the Colour Space conversion and profile-embedding front we find that little has changed
from Photoshop 6 and 7. Without the tools that follow it would be virtually impossible for the
user to maintain a fully colour-managed workflow.
Assign Profile
As with previous versions of Photoshop the Assign Profile command is accessed via the
Image > Mode menu and allows the user to assign any profile of their choosing to an image.
The command itself was designed for only a few limited uses, typically with images that have
been scanned into Photoshop using a Twain module or a scanner package that has no means
of embedding an ICC profile. It will also be useful handling images from digital cameras that
have no embedded profile or incorrect EXIF colour space information.
Assuming that the colour management policy is not set to off then an image imported into
Photoshop with NO embedded profile will be assigned, previewed and subsequently saved
using the current Photoshop Working Space. Obviously, this may not be the most appropriate
colour space in which to edit or save the image; so assuming the user has the correct source
profile they can make Assign the correct profile.
Its important to note that assigning a profile does NOT convert the image (will not change
the numbers; i.e. RGB pixel values). Assign simply provides Photoshop with a description of
the actual colour space that you wish to edit and view the image in. In other words it changes
the image appearance or meaning of the numbers.

The Don't Colour Manage this Document: option is used to instruct Photoshop to
remove an existing embedded profile (sometimes referred to as untagging).
The Working RGB: option tags the image with the current default working space
profile as defined in Colour Settings.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 25 of 29

The Profile: popup option allows us to assign a profile other than the default Working
RGB profile. In the above example I chose to assign a customised profile for a digital
camera.

Other potential uses for Assign Profile include the removal of an embedded profile (i.e. don't
colour manage the image). The example screenshot shows a case where I chose to assign a
customised profile for my digital camera to an image.
Convert to Profile
The Convert to Profile command found under the Image > Mode menu is basically an
enhanced version of the old Photoshop 5 Profile-to-Profile command. With Profile-to-Profile
we were able to define the source colour space (and probably get it wrong) whereas in
Photoshop CS this cannot be done since the source profile for the image is locked. The only
way that this source profile can be changed is via the Assign Profile command discussed
previously.

In the example above I show an image with an embedded profile (Source Space = Canon
EOS D30 ..........NSC) being converted to Adobe RGB (1998) (i.e. the Destination Space).
Whenever we make this conversion it will be the profile for the destination space that is
embedded within the image file when saved. Convert to Profile changes the numbers (i.e.
pixel values). The inclusion of the Preview checkbox allows the user to compare the
conversion with and without Black Point Compensation, Dithering and any one of the four
rendering Intents. The ability to preview the conversion is a real boon and shouldn't be
ignored, use it to your benefit.
Notice that the Intent is set to Relative Colorimetric, as this was the default Intent chosen by
me when configuring the Color Settings. However, as with many Photoshop setting the Intent
is "sticky", which means that if I had chosen Perceptual instead then the next time I chose
Convert to Profile the Intent would be set to Perceptual. The moral being - always check the
actual value before clicking OK.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 26 of 29

Save As
Last but not least, the Save As dialog throws up a host of useful features. The Embed Profile
checkbox is very important and will reflect your choice of Colour Management Policy. You
switch it ON or turn it OFF as you please, the latter option being a bad idea in most instances.
Notice that the dialog even informs us which profile is being embedded.
The screenshot shown below is how the dialog appears on a Windows 2000 system; the Mac
OSX version of Photoshop CS will look slightly different, but are functionally identical.

The other save options present in the dialog are those associated with Layers, Alpha
Channels, Annotations, etc. Again, we can choose to uncheck them and so save the image
without the layers, etc. The Save As a Copy feature is engaged by default as soon as you
uncheck Layers; this prevents you trashing a lot of hard work.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 27 of 29

Part 5 - Print with Preview

Whilst printing from within Photoshop is discussed in separate tutorial it's still worth providing a brief
overview to round off this essay on colour management.

The screenshot shown below shows the colour management features within the Print with Preview
dialog box although it is first necessary to turn them on via the Show More Options checkbox. The
various colour management options enable you to define the source and destination (target) colour
spaces and the rendering intent used to convert the image between the two.

Source Space: Document - this denotes the actual colour space of the source image/document
to be printed. The above example shows Adobe RGB (1998), but it could be any number of
user specified alternatives (e.g. sRGB, ProPhoto, ColorMatch, etc.). If the image has already
been converted (using the Photoshop Convert to Profile command) to a printer/media profile
its name will be reflected here.
Source Space: Proof - tells Photoshop to convert the image/document from the source colour
space to the ICC profile specified in the Proof Setup dialog (see: Photoshop View menu).
Print Space: Profile - is where you choose the preferred method of managing the colour
output from Photoshop. We have three different options - each has its own specific
configuration in the printer driver so avoid a mix and match approach, as it will end in tears.

The following discussion should help you understand the differences between each.
1. Same as source: Photoshop simply passes the image/document straight to the printer driver
without making any print space conversions. This option is effectively telling Photoshop to
not colour manage the printing of the image/document.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 28 of 29

2. Printer Colour Management: choosing this options tells Photoshop that the image/document
should be sent to printer driver with the profile listed against Source Space: embedded within
it. By embedding the profile Photoshop is providing the printer driver with all the necessary
information required to ensure accurate colour rendering. Image/document colour
management is handled the printer driver.
3. ICC Profile: this last option is where we choose a specific profile that is compatible with our
printer. Notice that once an ICC profile is selected the Intent and Use Black Point
Compensation (BPC) facilities are activated.
For a more in depth discussion on printing from within Photoshop CS you should read the tutorial
Managing Colour When Printing at:
http://www.computer-darkroom.com /ps7_print/ps7_print_mac.htm
Hopefully the material presented in this essay has been helpful and improved your understanding of
Photoshop's approach to managing colour. As noted throughout the essay there is vast body of
material to be found all over the Internet. A simple search using "google.com" and the keys words
color management is all that is required.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com

Page No 29 of 29