Calibration (color management)
Effective color management makes it possible to process digital images in true color . Appropriate software enables color matching between different input and output devices as well as between devices from different manufacturers. This is necessary because each of the devices used, such as monitors, scanners or printers, displays colors differently, and this can result in falsified colors on a photo printout. A color management system can eliminate this problem by implementing a color matching module (CMM) at the operating system level. CMM automatically corrects the color errors between the devices with the help of ICC profiles to be created . For optimal color transfer when printing photos, the program adjusts the different color ranges of the devices involved so that all colors are in a target color space.
Color management systems have so far been used primarily by agencies and professional photographers. A first step in calibrating digital cameras is, for example, using a gray card for white balance ; scanners are calibrated with IT8 targets. A colorimeter or a spectrophotometer is required for the monitor and printer .
