Digital Color Management: Encoding Solutions, 2nd Edition

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A Unified Paradigm: Color Interchange

In Chapters 20 and 21, the principles of the Unified Paradigm were applied to various types of individual color-imaging systems. In this chapter, those same principles will be applied to our ultimate goal—a comprehensive, unified color-management environment for the entire color-imaging industry. The unifying factor will be a method for the unambiguous and unrestricted communication of color among all systems operating within the environment.

Figure 22.1 illustrates a unified color-manage- ment environment in which various types of systems are operating. Some systems (the ABC systems) are independently providing all functions of the Unified Paradigm. Other systems and groups of related systems are operating according to just one or two of the Type A, B, or C paradigms. That is as it should be. There are valid reasons—simplicity, for one—to limit the functionality of particular systems, and a truly unified environment must include and fully support such systems.

Similarly, different color-encoding methods and color-encoding data metrics might be used internally on particular systems or for color interchange among groups of related systems operating within the overall environment. As was discussed earlier, there are important engineering reasons for using different color-encoding methods and data metrics on different types of imaging systems. A color-management environment that excluded systems based solely on their use of particular encoding ...