Photoshop® CS3 Channels and Masks Bible

Chapter 4. Managing Color

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Understanding Color Working Space

• Calibrating your monitor

• Choosing the correct workspace Using basic color settings

• Working with advanced color settings

• Printing your image

Much of your editing depends on your perceptions of the on-screen image. You depend on what you see on your monitor to be able to assess the color and contrast relationships of an image. But the color your monitor displays is affected by several variables and, therefore, can be problematic when making decisions about color.

How can you be sure that what you see onscreen will match what your printer will print? And how can you be sure that what you see onscreen will match what another computer displays? These are the questions that color management attempts to address. Color management is a critical factor in maintaining the quality of an image and producing optimal color. This chapter looks at color management and its numerous variables. It will help you to prepare files for output to print media and digital display.

Understanding Color Working Space

When you manage color, you create an environment in which to view your work, known as a Color Working Space (CWS). The CWS is based on the type of output device you will use to publish your image. The CWS is independent of the display and can be chosen by the user. When you manage color in Photoshop or in other Adobe Creative Suite software, it is possible to scan, save, edit, and store an image with an embedded CWS as part of the ...