Adobe PostScript Color ® ®

Color Management on Demand

Adobe PostScript: ICC and Adobe PostScript:

Color Consistency is Already Possible Working Together for Consistent Color
Did you know Adobe PostScript technology In 1990, Adobe pioneered today’s color
supports color management and delivers true management architecture in PostScript Level 2.
color consistency across all platforms? Adobe As a founding member of the International
PostScript technology solves the problem of Color Consortium (ICC), Adobe’s color
consistent color, saving time, money, and sanity management architecture formed the
for designers and publishers everywhere. This foundation of the ICC profile format. The ICC
powerful printing system resides in much of is an industry organization that has developed
the software and printers you use everyday, and evangelizes a standard color profile format.
so you can easily take advantage of Adobe In practice, ICC color profiles allow color
PostScript for true, predictable color. information to move across applications and
devices in a consistent, reproduceable manner.
The De facto Standard for The PostScript and ICC color management
High-Quality Printing Does Color, Too models are fully compatible.
Adobe PostScript technology helped pioneer
desktop publishing and is the worldwide Color Management
industry-standard for high-quality, reliable in the Applications You use Today
printing. So it’s no accident that Adobe is also You are probably familiar with or, perhaps,
committed to the color consistency cause. already using Adobe Photoshop,® Adobe
And the best-selling printers and peripherals Illustrator,® and Adobe PageMaker® software.
feature Adobe PostScript to enhance and Adobe software, on Macintosh or Windows,®
control printing processes. Since Adobe integrates color management into the workflow,
software applications and PostScript work so you can maintain color integrity across
seamlessly with the most widely used third- applications, operating systems, file types and
party color management products, including devices. Adobe software works seamlessly
Apple ColorSync, Kodak® ColorFlow,™ Agfa,® with the Adobe PostScript technology’s color
ColorTune,™ Linotype® LinoColor,™ the ability management architecture and supports the
to get consistent, predictable color is already most popular color management products,
right at your fingertips. ensuring accurate, predictable color results
from input and design, through proofing and
printing.
 Monitor Profile
A Color Management System Workflow RGB Monitor Display

Original Photo

Scanned Image CMS

Scanner Profile Printer Profile

Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator Desktop Color Printer
Adobe PageMaker
Device Independent
Color Space

A color management system compensates for the ways

different devices handle the same colors using specially Commercial Printing Press
calibrated profiles to translate device-specific color
information into a device-independent color space.
Thus, colors can appear consistently on any input or output Separations Profile
device used in the design, production, and proofing processes.

In-RIP Color Management: PostScript Technology-based Printers and

Workflows for the Future Applications Means Color Consistency
With Adobe PostScript, designers and publish- If you are one of the thousands of design and
ers can achieve final color that closely matches publishing professionals who depend on color
the color they choose on-screen, so there are consistency everyday, you can’t afford to work
no surprises in the final output stage. Adobe without the color management benefits of
PostScript Level 2 and Adobe PostScript 3™ let Adobe PostScript and Adobe software. And
you describe the behavior of an output device with the debut of Adobe PostScript 3, color
in a color rendering dictionary (CRD), the consistency can be achieved with even greater
format of which is compatible with ICC profiles. efficiency and precision for both print and the
Web. Only industry-standard Adobe PostScript
With CRDs, color management can be applied technology and Adobe applications deliver
in the RIP—the resulting workflow provides seamless, powerful color management for
many advantages. Performance is enhanced achieving the best color consistency possible.
through faster return to applications, and
reduction of transmission time to output Adobe PostScript:
devices can be achieved due to smaller file sizes the foundation of Color Management
and access to superior compression. Utilizing Although it may not be apparent, Adobe
RIP-based processing also allows application of PostScript technology underscores the color
the optimal CRDs specific device conditions. management process, providing more
Most importantly, the resulting PostScript file reliable and predictable final color results.
can be printed consistently anywhere in the Make sure your printers, applications,
world. In-RIP color management is key to new, and other devices are supported by Adobe
more efficient workflows using RIP-based PostScript technology so you can achieve the
trapping and separation technology. high-quality color results you demand.

Adobe Systems Incorporated 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95110-2704 USA
Adobe Systems Europe Limited Adobe House, Mid New Cultins, Edinburgh EH11 4DU, Scotland, United Kingdom
Adobe Systems Co., Ltd. Yebisu Garden Place Tower, 4-20-3 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150 Japan
World Wide Web www.adobe.com

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Illustrator, PageMaker, Photoshop, PostScript, and PostScript 3 are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Apple and ColorSync are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
© 1997 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. CS1380 9/97