Color management is a topic that can be as complex or as simple as you want to make it. It is true that a complete understanding involves a tremendous amount of information. Fortunately, a working knowledge of how to use color management requires far less time and energy then most people think. In this article, I will focus on setting up a color management system. Next month, I will elaborate on how to apply color management to the digital workflow. To begin with, let's define color management so that we agree on what is being discussed. Color management is the process of controlling color so that the appearance of an image remains consistent throughout the workflow process. This includes the original image, in the computer workspace, and the final output.

Before we discuss color on the computer, let's take a look at how color works. Colors are produced by the reflection of light. Each color is comprised of a specific wavelength of light. We perceive colors when objects reflect some wavelengths of light while absorbing others. For example, a car appears blue because the blue wavelengths are reflected while all other wavelengths are absorbed. Our eyes interpret this as the color blue. In contrast, a computer monitor produces color by combining red, green, and blue light (abbreviated RGB) to form different colors. Unlike reflective color, a computer monitor uses a blue light to produce the color blue. Instead of a reflective color source, monitors use an illuminative color source.

When it comes to color management, the different methods of producing colors are part of why color management is difficult. The colors in a print are produced from light reflected off the paper. Digital images, on the other hand, are produced using an illuminat

The second obstacle to color management is that no one has a good definition about what color is. Consider this. How do I know that what I see as red is the same thing that you see as red? Yes, we both call it red, but is that because we are seeing the exact same thing or is it because we grew up being told that is red? When it comes to producing colors, the problems are even more complex. Not only must manufacturers define what a color is, they have to tell the monitor how to interpret that definition. This is easier said then done. Next time you are at an electronics store, take a look at the TV display area. While all the TV's receive the same color information (the information is coming from the same station), each TV interprets that information differently. One display looks green while another is red. This problem crosses over to the computer world. Epson, Dell, HP, and other manufacturers produce monitors with their own definition about how color should be interpreted. Color management is the process of standardizing the definition of color so that every devise in the system agrees how each color should look.

Most of us have been told that the first step in color management involves setting up profiles so that our images are imported with the "correct" color. After spending countless hours adjusting my scanner and digital cameras, I have reached to conclusion that this is a waste of time. This will sound like heresy to some purists, so let me explain myself. As a nature photographer, my goal is to create an image that reflects my photographic vision of the natural world. Please note that I do not say I want to reflect reality. If I was a product photographer things might be different, but the fact is that I am a nature photographer and matching input colors to "real colors" does not play a part in my workflow. After all, how many times has someone said that a sunset really had less red and more yellow? Instead of spending time trying to color manage my input process (the default settings are usually pretty accurate), I find it much more productive to begin with the basic image and adjust it in Photoshop until I like the results. Whether or not these results match the original slide really doesn't matter provided I like what I produce. With that in mind, I suggest you don't worry about profiling your image input devise and skip directly ahead to monitor calibration.

Monitor calibration (actually a two step process involving calibration and profiling) is the most important step in color management and I strongly recommend every digital photographer do it. Earlier I discussed how every monitor interprets color in its own way. Monitor calibration is simply a process of adjusting your monitor's settings and color to a standard. By standardizing the monitor display, I know that an image on my monitor appears similar to other calibrated monitors. Through calibration, it is possible to share images and have confidence in how they will appear. There are two primary methods for monitor calibration: Adobe Gamma and a spectrophotometer.

Adobe Gamma is a color calibration program that comes packaged with Adobe products. If you are working on a PC platform, chances are good that your computer already has Adobe Gamma installed (Mac users will find a similar program called ColorSync Calibrator on their system). To calibrate the monitor, simply run the program and follow the instructions. Unfortunately, Adobe Gamma is not the ideal solution to monitor calibration. At several points during the calibration process, the user is asked to make subjective assessments about the "best" setting. This becomes a problem as we try to move from one system to another. Each time the program offers a choice, the opportunity exists for different users to select different options. The result is variation between systems that have been calibrated. We are, after all, trying to standardize color display. Each subjective choice in the calibration process means that our monitor has a greater chance of differing from other monitors. Even so, Adobe Gamma is a better solution then nothing at all.

For those who want to exercise the greatest consistency in the monitor calibration process, I recommend using an external spectrophotometer. A spectrophotometer is a light measuring device that attaches directly to the monitor and measures color as it is displayed on the screen. Several manufacturers make monitor calibration systems, including ColorVision (www.colorvision.com), Monaco Systems (www.monacosys.com), and Gretag Macbeth (www.eyeonecolor.com). Personally, I use the ColorVision Spyder (available for $169) and have been happy with its performance, though I understand that all three systems work well. If purchasing the Spyder, make certain that you get the model that can be used with either CRT or LCD monitors. LCD monitors require a special attachment so as not to damage the LCD surface. Once the calibration software is installed, it is simply a matter of following the instructions. The ColorVision software (PhotoCal) offers a number of options during the calibration process, enabling you the define the parameters you want to use. Most experts agree that photographers will obtain the best results by setting their monitors to 6500K with a gamma setting of 2.2. Once these selections are made, the program will walk you though the rest of the calibration process, finishing by setting the newly generated profile as the default monitor profile (confirm this under the monitor settings (Settings ' Advanced) in the control panel).

Several important considerations must be taken into account when calibrating a monitor. First, always run the calibration process under the same conditions as when you work on images. Ideally, your work will be conducted in a dimly lit room without strong colors that could influence the display. Second, if you are using a spectrophotometer, Adobe Gamma must be removed from the startup menu. Not removing Adobe Gamma will result in the program's adjusting the monitor's default profile. Third, do not change the monitor settings once calibration is complete. The profile that is created will only work at those settings. Once the monitor settings are changed, the profile is no longer valid and the monitor must be recalibrated. Fourth, monitors tend to change subtly over time. Therefore, it is a good idea to recalibrate a monitor about once a month.

Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts.