Color Management Equipment

Color management equipment can be broken down into the following areas:

• Software color management solutions, monitor and media profiling
• Spot color – matching software
• Hardware
  • Densitometers
  • Colorimeters
  • Spectrophotometers

Colorimeter

A colorimeter is a light-sensitive instrument used for measuring the color intensity of an object or color sample in terms of the red, blue, and green components of light reflected from the object or sample. This is similar to how the human eye functions.

Monitor Calibration

Why calibrate the monitor at all?

Calibrating your monitor so it conforms to widely accepted standards of image display. A properly calibrated monitor is essential for making prints that match the monitor image; it is an absolute necessity for success.

The basic step in this characterization process involves the use of a colorimeter, or a spectrophotometer. These color measurement devices come with feet or counterweights, allowing them to be positioned directly in front of the monitor, much like a miniature camera strapped onto a computer screen.

Upon starting the calibration software, the CMS (color management system) takes control of the monitor and tells it to broadcast different reference colors on the screen. The device measures the reference colors emitted by the monitor and sends this data back to the CMS. The CMS then creates a profile of the monitor's color-rendering abilities by relating the actual color values measured to the reference color values that were displayed.

Densitometer

A densitometer is a device that measures the degree of darkness (the optical density) of a photographic or semitransparent material or of a reflecting surface. The densitometer is basically a light source aimed at a photoelectric cell. It determines the density of a sample placed between the light source and the photoelectric cell from differences in the readings. Modern densitometers have the same components, but also have electronic integrated circuitry for better reading. There are two types:

• Transmission densitometers that measure transparent materials
• Reflection densitometers that measure light reflected from a surface.

Spectrophotometer

Instrument used to measure the intensity of wavelengths in a spectrum of light compared with the intensity of light from a standard source. Device for measuring the brightness of the various portions of spectra. These brightness levels are then converted into CMYK, LAB or RGB values. This type of device gives the most accurate readings and is used in many facets of manufacturing and science. Since they may have unique tasks, these devices come in all sizes and shapes depending upon the usage of the device.