Color Management in other words:

1) The Color Management System CMS CONVERTS the SourceSpace/File/Profile into MonitorRGB (the custom "calibrated" monitor profile) and PROOFs the color accurately on the screen.

2) The Color Management System CMS CONVERTS the SourceSpace/File into the TargetProfile/Space (the custom "calibrated" printer profile) -- a SPECIFIC Printer/Paper/Ink ICC Profile or PressCMYK -- and PROOFs the color accurately on the printed paper.

Color Management is ONLY about CONVERSIONS (and knowing the file's SourceSpaceProfile):

• A SourceSpace is CONVERTED to a TargetSpace.

Color Management starts with a good monitor profile (to PROOF the color accurately on screen), and Color Management ends with a good target profile to PROOF the color accurately on the print (in a printing workflow).

The file (the document Source Space) is independent of Photoshop:

The Color Management System CMS, Photoshop, ONLY uses the monitor profile for one thing: To PROOF source file on the monitor (the monitor profile has zero to do with how the file prints).

The Color Management System CMS, Photoshop, ONLY uses the printer (target) profile Print Space for one thing: To PROOF source file on the paper (the printer profile Print Space has zero to do with how the file looks on the monitor).

The simple challenge (for me) is:

1) Knowing the settings when/where the Conversion takes place, and

2) Controlling it (the Conversion).

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IN STILL OTHER WORDS: The 'calibrated' monitor ONLY allows a color-managed application like Photoshop to PROOF the SourceFile faithfully on the monitor through a SourceProfile-to-MonitorProfile Conversion. Photoshop is always displaying through this Source-to-Monitor profile Conversion (we cannot turn it off). The monitor profile has nothing to do with how the file prints. The good printer profile ONLY allows a color-managed application like Photoshop to PROOF the SourceFile faithfully on paper through a SourceProfile-to-PrintProfile Conversion. This Source-to-Printer profile Conversion is setup in the printer utility. The printer profile has nothing to do with how the file displays in Photoshop. Both printer and monitor profiles are independent of the Source File (hopefully). My point is, think of color management merely as: 1) Honoring a source space profile, and 2) Converting to a target (proofing) space profile (monitor, or desktop print, or press CMYK print). Aside from Adobe Photoshop's obvious editing capabilities, think of it as a accurate PROOFING application (if we follow three simple rules). RULE #1: Calibrate our monitor to a good 2.2 gamma, 6500/D65 profile. RULE #2: Honor the source file's embedded profile (or color space). RULE #3: Convert to the good target profile.

To see profiles work on your color-managed web browser:

PROOF my point HERE in your color-managed web browser -- a side-by-side comparison tutorial of tagged and untagged AppleRGB, sRGB, Adobe RGB (1998) and visually demonstraites how color management works.

For a free Photoshop tutorial about how Photoshop handles color, a how to Honor profiles in Photoshop, Convert profiles, Assume profiles, and Assign profiles, please see my ASSIGN v CONVERT Adobe Photoshop white paper for Adobe Photoshop CS3 CS2 CS1 PS 10 PS9 PS8 PS7.

For a proven how to make the monitor match the print workflow and take control of the print utility, please see my NO COLOR ADJUSTMENT printing tutorial.

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This online free Adobe Photoshop tutorial can be used with CS3 CS2 CS1 PS 10 PS9 PS8 PS7 PS6.

All a Color Management System CMS does is Convert one Color Space to another:

• A known SourceSpace to a specific TargetSpace.
• How a Color Management System (like ColorSync, Adobe ACE) Works gballard.net.

MonitorRGB < SourceFile/Space > TargetSpace/Profile

Terminology:

In Photoshop Color Management System CMS, for example:

Photoshop's Color Management System CMS will Convert a file's SourceSpace into MonitorRGB and PROOF the file accurately on screen.

Photoshop CS 8 7 6 all Convert a SourceFile into MonitorRGB and onto the viewing monitor screen - we cannot turn this feature off (since version 6, and we couldn't turn this feature on, monitor compensation, on until version 5).

Likewise: