Real World Color Management: Industrial-Strength Production Techniques

It's hard to imagine there's a more thorough take on color management out there. The three who wrote this one are (or were, as Fraser has passed) the most knowledgeable out there on the subject.As the authors wryly joke, even Newton chose not to pursue the science of color in favor of a more rigid, less complicated science like plain old theoretical physics or mathematics! Indeed! Color is complicated, sweetheart! Even so, the authors do about as good a job of conveying all necessary information as any could for the layman and probably other experts as well.There seems to be no one in the business these authors either don't know personally or whose work they don't know extensively. Notable is the fact it's a little surprising three people were able to collaborate so well to write one book in one style that flows very well given the topic. The book is very well organized, which helps a lot too. Clearly, both the writing and the publishing were well thought out by people with serious knowledge of their subject. That's not commonplace anymore.I know I don't need another book on the topic, that all I need to know is packed into this (not light in content nor literally) book. Best I think is how the authors address color management from the standpoint of specific software mostly toward the end of the book after they've laid out principles of color management, including explanation, of course, of the need to manage color in a workflow, assuming one has any interest in arriving at quality results, and extensive discussion of why and how to profile an array of devices. Whether one plans on color rendering "true" to a subject or on departing from "true" color in the interest of creativity. Even more so in the latter case. Reminders of reasons why bother with color management pop up throughout--in text and in sidebars. There's a terrific section on types of workflows, depending on one's objective. Ideally the book is for any running a commercial shop, but then for that reason too very useful for those of us working solo using what equipment we can afford.Speaking of equipment, some that is recommended is priced out of sight for many solo workers. But the authors address problems that way by suggesting alternative ways to do things. For example, printer profiling: which can be most difficult, and costly depending on equipment to be employed. The job is easier the more funds one has to expend on the best equipment, but one can do the job with lesser equipment and with some time to spare. Otherwise, as is suggested, a lot of people might do better to have profiles made by third parties at fairly reasonable prices considering time and energy and understanding required.Not to say one ought simply skip over what's not so easy to understand or what can't be done pending expensive equipment, let alone attempted. It's well worth one's time to try and understand the process even if one doesn't plan to measure a thousand or more little squares of color one at a time. I didn't get everything, especially concerning adjusting tables in software made for the purpose or in Excel on one's own, but I did get the general idea, whether or not I ever attempt to adjust profiles by inputting numbers to a LUT. I likely never will if I can have it done for, say, $50-$100. But who knows, maybe one day should I gain a better understanding and brush up on math I forgot decades ago?Sorry, the book doesn't actually teem with mathematics, so not to worry. It is addressed both to professionals running shops and to solo artists.Input-device profiling struck me as a little easier to do, though a scanner can be tricky and a camera just about impossible to profile. But one might never need to profile either one, depending on the editing software one has and assuming one is very proficient in use of software. Photoshop is recommended though not essential to color managing a workflow.Monitors simply MUST be profiled if one is to get anywhere at all in color-managing workflow such that what is seen on screen comes close to what appears in print. Fortunately, monitors are the easiest devices to profile and even fun to profile using not-too-pricey equipment that can be purchased here at Amazon. If you've not done it you'll be amazed at the difference--before and after. After doing it you'll be able to see just how green was your screen before, or how red, now that your display is displaying a truly neutral gray. All of a sudden color will look "true," much more like what you saw or intended and also thereby far more easily adjusted, or not adjusted at all if you prefer to print directly from camera to printer through your computer. The more direct the more essential to accurately profile devices both input and output, assuming your objective isn't simply a snapshot, although even then when prints (or displays) are sorely lacking, which all prints and displays will be when devices aren't attuned. Even a camera display needs to be white balanced, preferably before shooting.The book teems with illustrations and photos, not least of which are pictures of actual menus from various image-editing programs. Those are VERY helpful, both in getting it right and in gaining a better understanding of the process both specific to the program at hand and more generally. (This could also be a book on how to use color management tools available in the better imaging software out there.)But the book begins with an elaboration on the nature or science of color, including how we humans perceive it and then seek to use it. That elaboration is excellent insofar as intended for those not terribly well versed in color theory. (All of it very interesting too! Why IS the sky blue, dad?) So long, that is, as one pays close attention since this book is not for the mentally lazy. Some close going over sentences is necessary to a complete understanding. It IS deep down a science text for the beginner and maybe too for intermediate and expert in a few ways.All in all a very well written book by authors also with a sense of humor that isn't geeky at all or that is in self-deprecating fashion. They know their trade, know it can be difficult and as a result write in such a way as to encourage any reader having difficulty. The science isn't exact in any case, and that makes writing about it not easy to do well. These authors do it very well. By the end, if you've paid close attention, you ought have a reasonably good working knowledge of color management regardless of type of input and output devices. If you follow along and practice what's preached what appears on your screen will look pretty similar to what appears on your printing paper. Short of a D50 light box, pretty similar is good as it gets, which is plenty good enough.I don't know any method that can replace hard proofing, which I believe still has to be done, but that burden is greatly, and most happily, lessened if one follows this book to a far more substantial understanding of process.Congrats to authors on an outstanding achievement well worth the relatively low price.

First, I have no idea who William X is but his review is a slam to Mr. Murphy and just useless dribble. I know Chris lives in Bolder so I have to assume this is a person with some kind of agenda towards Chris.Now onto the book. I am a color geek myself although I try not to get into all the discussions like how many ICC Profiles will fit on a pin. I have purchased nearly every book on the subject of color, color theory and color management. I have been reading Frasers, Buntin and Murphy's posts on the Apple ColorSync list for years and have literally hundreds of posts from each archived. Real World Color Management is the best book on the subject bar none. It's VERY easy to read and well explained. Even the first few chapters on color theory are so well explained that I not only picked up some good concepts I didn't know, I learned how to explain them to others in a much more concise manner. For those that feel that color management and computer imaging are moving at such a pace that no book can be useful for any length of time, I would say that RWCM is worth the price of admission just for the foundation in color and computer theory it presents in the first 100 or so pages.There is a huge wealth of information that I've never seen anywhere else! The areas in the book discussing how to evaluate the quality of ICC profiles is worth it's weight in gold. The various chapters covering specific software products and how they deal with color management is invaluable. What makes this book so wonderful is it's tone. It has a sense of humor (so needed with this kind of topic). It doesn't look down on the reader and more importantly, it's clear and to the point. There's virtually no math to make your head explode.I happen to know all three authors (some more than others) and I am proud that they have finally achieved the final goal of producing what I believe is the definitive book on the subject of color management. Anyone that works with computer graphics or produces output from a computer should have this book.

My purpose in buying this book was to help me print photos that looked like the image on my PC monitor. The phrase "color management" can probably mean many things to different people but this is really what matters to me. It can be difficult enough to edit photos so that you are satisfied with how it looks on your screen. If you print it out and the photo looks more red than the screen, or darker, or any number of other possible differences than you will know only frustration and heartache when trying to print photos.While simple in concept, successfully getting a printed image to mirror that on your screen is a complex task and this book will greatly aid you in the process. It methodically covers all aspects of color management both from a theoretical perspective and a practical series of concrete specifics to manage color successfully on your system.Depending on your needs, it is almost certainly not necessary to read every page of this guide. For my purposes a lot of the theoretical discussion was not relevant and a lot of space is devoted to CMYK printing in a professional environment while I print exclusively at home. There are undoubtedly people with different interests, however, who will find such information invaluable while they may gloss over some of the sections that were most useful to me. In the end, that is why I give this book 5 stars and my highest recommendation. It provides great information no matter what your needs are and you are free to consume as much or little as suits you. If you are a photographer and haven't gotten into color management at all, then quit sitting on the fence. Buy this book and start the process and your photos will benefit tremendously.

Excellent book. Complete and informative text on color theory and management from capture and creation to print. Essential for designers, photographers, and anyone in the printing industry or wanting to ensure their images come out good in print.

Comprehensive and takes you to the foundations of what you need to know. Sorry, but that is the jist of it if you want to get to grips with the subject. There is no short cut. you have to walk the walk.

Das Buch bietet aus meiner semi-professionellen Sicht einen guten und sehr umfangreichen Überblick über ein nicht ganz einfaches Thema. Allerdings ist es in Teilen, wenn Bezug auf Hard und Software genommen wird, nicht mehr ganz aktuell.

Questo libro copre con linguaggio chiaro il tema vasto e poco conosciuto della gestione del colore in ambito fotografico, dalla acquisizione delle immagini dalla fotocamera o scanner, alla visualizzazione a video e la successiva stampa.Lettura indispensabile per chi approccia la fotografia a livello professionale o amatoriale avanzato.Unico inconveniente, il libro è stato scritto 7 anni fa, e di conseguenza i riferimenti ai prodotti Hw e Sw presenti sul mercato sono piuttosto datati.Peccato solo che non esista una versione in italiano!

Great book. A bible for those of us in the printing industry.