Color Management

Canvas X Draw uses the Little Color Management System or its own internal color management system to achieve accurate color reproduction in printing and display. The active color management system handles conversions from one color mode to another.

The Little CMS supports ICC (International Color Consortium) profiles. Use ICC profiles to calibrate monitors and output devices.

ICC Profiles

ICC profiles are used for color management by Canvas X Draw and other programs. Canvas X Draw installs ICC profiles that are appropriate for most monitors and color printers.

You can obtain additional ICC profiles for specialized devices, such as film writers, graphics arts monitors, and prepress proofing devices from the device’s manufacturer.

To Change Color Settings within Canvas X Draw:

1. To change the color management settings, go to one of the following:

1. Choose Edit | Calibration | Color Management.
2. Choose File | Configuration Center... | Color Management.
• Select profiles and other options as described in the table below.
• Click OK to implement the settings.

Color Management Options

Color Engine	Choose the Little CMS or Canvas CMS.
Select if you would like to preview the color engine on screen, or simulate on the monitor the appearance of the CMYK colors that will be printed. If you opt to have your printer device emulated on screen, select your Soft Proofing Intent from the drop-down. (In other words, select the strategy for handling situations where not all colors will fit in the output device's color space.)
Working Spaces	RGB	Selects the ICC profile for conversion to and from RGB color space.
	CMYK	Selects the ICC profile for conversion to and from CMKY color space.
	LAB	Selects the ICC profile for conversion to and from LAB color space.
Devices	Monitor	Select a monitor ICC profile that matches your monitor, or use the default profile. To change the profile, choose Other. In the dialog box, in the upper pane, select a profile and click Open.
	Printer	Select an ICC profile for your printer or use the default profile. To change the profile, choose Other. In the dialog box, in the upper pane, select a profile and click Open.
Rendering Intent		Choose a rendering intent: Perceptual (Images): Maintains relative color values as the values are mapped to the printer gamut. This method preserves the relationship among colors, though color values can change. Saturation (Graphics): Maintains relative saturation values of colors. Colors that are outside the printer gamut are converted to the closest colors with the same saturation that are inside the printer gamut. Relative Colorimetric: Leaves colors that fall inside the gamut unchanged. This method usually converts out-of-gamut colors to colors that have the same lightness but fall just inside the gamut. Absolute Colorimetric: Disables white-point matching when converting colors. This option is not generally recommended.
	Black Point Compensation (Non-ICC)	Controls whether to compensate for differences in black points when converting colors between color spaces.

To Emulate the Appearance of Colors (That Will be Printed) on the Monitor

1. In the Color Management dialog, choose the appropriate printer profile from the Printer drop-down menu.
2. Select the Emulate printer device on screen radio button.
3. Select an appropriate Soft Proofing Intent from the drop-down menu.
4. Click OK.

Color Management Tips

If you require the highest quality color matching and output, becoming familiar with the factors that can cause problematic color shifts can help you to avoid unexpected results.

In general, the color management system handles conversion between color systems, such as RGB and CMYK. The system makes the conversion as accurate as possible, taking into account the characteristics of the color display and color printing devices.

If you want to prevent even slight changes in color values, avoid conversion from one color system to another. When you paint in an image, use the color system that matches the image mode; e.g., use RGB colors for RGB Color mode, and CMYK colors for CMYK Color mode.

If you paint a CMYK color into an RGB Color mode image, Canvas X Draw converts the CMYK color values to RGB values. When color calibration is active, the color management system uses the specifications of the selected ICC profiles in the conversion process.

You must use a printed swatchbook to view the printed appearance of a color. You should never rely entirely on the appearance of a color on screen.

Avoid using RGB color in a document that will be printed commercially using process (CMYK) colors. When you specify process colors, it’s best to use a matching system (Color Systems).

See also:

• Attributes Palette