Mac OS

In the past, PostScript printers handled color space conversions. Now with Mac OS X Tiger, you can choose to have your Mac handle color conversions rather than using the PostScript printer for processing, which can dramatically accelerate color conversions. In your printer driver, choose ColorSync from the pop-up menu as shown in the figure below. If the driver can use this feature, you’ll see two options in the Color Conversion pop-up menu: Standard and In Printer. If the Standard option is selected, your Mac will process the data, taking advantage of the power of its processor. For example, ColorSync can use the power of a Power Mac G5 to greatly speed up the color space conversions, as compared with In Printer, which uses the printer hardware. Setting In Printer option for PostScript in Mac OS X.

ColorSync Utility can also be used as a tool for color space conversions on images. When you open an image in ColorSync Utility, you see the image along with additional options at the bottom of the screen. For example, to apply a sepia-tone profile to the image, choose Apply Profile from the left pop-up menu, Abstract from the middle pop- up menu, then select Sepia Tone. You can also convert an image for an output device by selecting the Output menu and the appropriate printer profile. When converting to an output color space, you can choose a rendering intent for the color space conversion using the Intent pop-up menu. Click Apply to see a soft proof of how the image will appear after conversion. Choose the rendering intent that produces your preferred color appearance based on the image and the profiles being used. Choose Save As from the File menu to apply the conversion and save the new file to your hard drive, ready for output to that particular output device

You have seen how virtual color proofing can be used in several applications to examine the color of your files. Using the Preview button in the Print dialog, you can also see color-accurate previews at print time from any printer driver. Once you click this button, your print job appears in the Preview application as an accurate soft proof using that printer’s color profile. If everything looks as you wish, simply click the Print button to send the color-managed file to the output device. You can update the various options in the Print dialog and regenerate PDF soft proofs in Preview until you are satisfied with the results, and then send the data to the printer. The Preview button in the standard Print dialog of Mac OS X.