Module 5C: Color Spaces and Reproduction

C.    Color Spaces and Image Reproduction

 

Insert Colorful photo here

  

         

Gamut

Gamut is the range of colors that can be seen, captured or reproduced by any device.

Color Space defines the range of color or the color palette. Digital files, capture devices and output devices use various subsets within the visible color gamut. 

Select the desired color space in the camera for image capture or when converting from RAW.

 

The RGB color model uses additive color mixing of red, green, and blue to produce color.

 

sRGB

Standard RGB is the most common color space for capture devices such as digital cameras, video cameras and computer monitors. The sRGB is the smallest of the RGB spaces. It is the primary color space for images viewed on the web. It is also the preferred color space for many photo labs.  

 

Images that utilize sRGB cannot be converted to larger color spaces. However, images that utilize larger color

spaces can be converted to a smaller color space.

 

  

Adobe RGB 1998

This color space was designed by Adobe to expand the gamut of colors achievable on CMYK printers, but by using only RGB primary colors. The Adobe RGB 1998 space is somewhat larger than the sRGB gamut.  

Some labs and printers will allow working withing this color space which could provide the benefit of a more vibrant color palette. 

Images created in Adobe RGB will need to be converted to sRGB to be viewed on the web.

 

 

Pro Photo RGB

The largest of the RGB color spaces provides the widest range of colors. However, there are a limited number of printers that can utilize this color space.

 

CMYK

This subtractive color space is used in printing images with inks and dyes onto paper. The process utilizes cyan, magenta, yellow and black to produce its color gamut. Its color space is even smaller than the RGB color spaces. Printing presses and most digital and inkjet printers use the CMYK color space to print an image onto paper. 

Because photographers edit images in an RGB environment on a computer screen, images that will be printed on a 4-color press will need to be converted to CMYK before the images are printed. This can be done by the photographer, but it may be best to leave this conversion to the printing company since they are the most knowledgeable about their own printing process.  

Images that are printed on an inkjet, laser, or dye sublimation printer also utilize a CMYK color space. This is why for a printer, you purchase inks and cartridges that are cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

 

ICC Profiles

In the same way that monitors differ in translating the numerical value of color, so do printers. It is disappointing to see an image that appears beautifully on the computer screen look terrible as it comes off the printer. 

The color conversion from the RGB color space of the file takes place in the printer’s ICC profiles. These profiles translate the colors that are embedded in the file and seen on the monitor into a CMYK color space for printing.  

An ICC profile is used to standardize the values of color between a monitor using an RGB color space and a scanner or printer using a CMYK color space. The ICC profile makes the translations so that output of the printer closely matches with the color as viewed on the monitor.