[OpenICC] colour palettes/lists

[Chris Murphy]

On Sep 16, 2005, at 2:25 AM, Kai-Uwe Behrmann wrote:

> Are there widely used formats for inter application exchange of pen
> colours (documented and extensible)?

AFAIK, just the ICC NCP format which requires only named color  
correlated to the PCS. It optionally allows correlation to device- 
dependent values.

Also, unless something is different in Adobe CS2 applications, each  
Adobe application uses different formats for swatch libraries. And  
each of those is to my knowledge not publicly documented, although I  
think you can gain access to that information readily if you are in  
their developer program.

> Is there a need for a new one?

I think what's needed is a way to embed it into a conventional output  
device profile *if* it's the variety that has the optional device- 
dependent values. End users shouldn't have to screw around with so  
many profiles, and applications shouldn't have to ask end users what  
palette to use for a particular device if one has been made for a  
particular device. Just stick it in the output device profile. (I  
realize I'm bitching, this is really an issue for the ICC to address.)

What we're asking for is really straightforward so I'm not sure a new  
one is needed, more than a more logical implementation and software  
that actually a.) create them and b.) uses them. That's been the  
stumbling block with NCPs to date. There's maybe two applications  
that will make them, and none in current distribution that I can  
think of off hand that use them.

> Would be the Microsoft xml format a valuable candidate  
> (documentation)?

You mean the one proposed for WCS? I think possibly since it's  
documented and extensible. But I'm not sure if they have a color list/ 
NCP equivalent documented already. If not you'd basically be creating  
something proprietary but sort of self-documenting as it would be XML.

> What about svg?

I don't think so. I'd have to hear what the plus side would be, as I  
can't think of anything.


Chris Murphy
Color Remedies (TM)
www.colorremedies.com/realworldcolor
-------------------------------------------------------------
Co-author "Real World Color Management, 2nd Edition"
Published by PeachPit Press (ISBN 0-321-26722-2)