Why is color management needed?

Different device types tend to possess different color characteristics and capabilities. Displays, for instance, can't show the same set of colors that a printer can reproduce. This is because of the fundamentally different processes each device uses to produce color content. Scanners and cameras have different color characteristics as well. Even different programs sometimes interpret and process colors differently. Without a consistent color management system, the same picture can look different on each of these devices. The appearance of color content also depends upon the viewing conditions (such as ambient lighting). This is because the human eye adapts differently to different conditions, even when viewing the same picture.

As a result, color management maintains the relationships within color content so that an acceptable appearance can be achieved on devices with different color capabilities and across different viewing conditions. This requires color management systems to control the relationships between the device characteristics and the viewing conditions to produce acceptable results.

Reference:

Windows Help and Support

You can also find additional information about color management at the Microsoft Image Color Management website.

What is color management?

Color management is a system used to ensure that color content is rendered to your satisfaction everywhere—including devices such as your display and your printer.

References:

Windows Help Desk

You can also find additional information about color management at the Microsoft Image Color Management website.

Digital Negative format (DNG)

Digital Negative (DNG) is a file format that contains the raw image data from a digital camera and metadata that defines what the data means. DNG, Adobe’s publicly available, archival format for camera raw files, is designed to provide compatibility and decrease the current proliferation of camera raw file formats. The Camera Raw plug‑in can save camera raw image data in the DNG format. For more information about the Digital Negative (DNG) file format, visit www.adobe.com and search on the term “Digital Negative.” You’ll find comprehensive information and a link to a user forum.

References:

• Adobe Help Resource Center: Digital Negative format (DNG)

Photoshop Raw format

The Photoshop Raw format is a flexible file format for transferring images between applications and computer platforms. This format supports CMYK, RGB, and grayscale images with alpha channels, and multichannel and Lab images without alpha channels. Documents saved in the Photoshop Raw format can be of any pixel or file size, but they cannot contain layers.

• Note: A Photoshop Raw image is not in the same file format as a camera raw image file from a digital camera. A camera raw image file is in a camera-specific proprietary format that is essentially a “digital negative,” with no filtering, white balance adjustments, or other in-camera processing.

References:

• Adobe Help Resource Center: Photoshop Raw format