[Openicc] ALL YOU NEED IS A PROFILE, THE MYTH. (WAS CC Profiles In X Specification and dispwin)

[Graeme Gill]

Gerhard Fuernkranz wrote:

> But I also would not renounce profiles! Actually I find the way how
> gimp-print performs color conversion/correction too complicated. There
> are a bunch of controls, but the effect of the controls to the resulting
> colors, and the side-effects are not really clear and hard to predict.
> IMHO, for instance the color workflow for a CMYK printer driver can be
> fairly simple, if it is based on color profiles:
> 
>     * driver's CMYK input -> four 1D-curves which do the linearization
>       and the per channel ink limiting -> halftoning engine -> raster
>       data -> done
> 
>       (the 1D curves should IMO support at least 10 or 12 bits/channel
>       on input, and 16 bits on output. The halftoning engine should work
>       with 16 bits/channel)

 From experience I can confirm that this is a very sound approach, and
is to be recommended. The CMYK can quite simply produced by linking
profiles or using device links, and the linearisation etc. makes the
device profiles well behaved. In my experience 8 bits of input to the
linearisation curves is also quite adequate for very many purposes, including
high quality proofing, if the linearisation targets are chosen appropriately.
10 or 12 bit capability would be nice, but isn't actual necessary in a well
behaved color space intended for printing.

Graeme Gill.