Q: What operating system is supported?
A: Macintosh OS 10.3 (“Panther”).
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Q: What are the minimum system requirements?
A: System Requirements:
- MACINTOSH OS X 10.3 (Panther)
- ADOBE PHOTOSHOP Software Version 7 and CS
- 200 MB or more of free hard disk space
- 256 MB of RAM (512 MB or higher recommended)
- A color monitor capable of displaying millions of colors
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Q: Is English the only language supported?
A: The software is tested on the current versions of Macintosh OS X using the English, French, Italian German and Spanish settings. The standard Macintosh menus will be translated, but menu items and some Asian fonts will not be translated correctly. The Quick Start Guide is translated into the EFIGS languages.
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Q: CCT, OS MB, RAM, HTTP, FTP, Q60, ICC, FAQ… What do all of the acronyms and abbreviations mean?
A: It's actually a secret code that you will know after reading the following
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
CCT=Custom Color Tools;
OS = Operating System;
MB = Megabyte;
RAM = Random Access Memory;
HTTP=Hyper Text Transfer Protocol;
FTP = File Transfer Protocol;
ICC = International Color Consortium.
A Kodak Q-60 Color Input target is a standard target printed on either
reversal (transparency) film or on photographic print paper, which is used to profile input scanners. The “PSTAR” ( Portrait and Social TARget) image is a reference image that you use to visually evaluate and edit profiles for digital color workflows.
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Q: What is the suggested system configuration for installing/using Custom Color Tools?
A: 200 MB of free hard disk space, 512 MB of RAM, and a color monitor capable of displaying millions of colors
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Q: Where is the Windows version?
A: The Custom Color Tools v3.0 Windows version of Custom Color Tools is available through a premium membership with the Kodak Pro-Lab resource Center (http://www.kodak.com/go/prolab). It is intended for labs that print photographic paper. It is not updated with the version 3.1 features, which are more CMYK-centric.
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Q: Where can I get more support?
A: After reading the License Agreement, FAQs, “Read Me” file, and User Guide PDF, send your question using the form at http://www.matchflow.com/.
Try to be specific as possible. If possible use screen captures to show menus and try to describe exactly what type of image path is being used. For instance, if the question is regarding Kodak Approval Selective Color Edit, or Editing a Sample Photo Writer profile for printing a wedding album using a Kodak Digital Analyzing Workstation, please let us know.
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Q: Where can I find information on ordering other Q-60 targets?
A: At http://www.kodak.com or Click the direct link.
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Q: Where can I get the standard IT8 Data files to replace the Target Description Files from older versions of Kodak input Profile Builder?
A: ftp://FTP.Kodak.com/GASTDS/Q60DATA
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Q: How do I use the standard IT8 data files. The Custom Color User Guide refers to it, but i can not see the choice in the Input Profile Builder Filter Plug-in.
A: For Custom Color Tools v 3.1, send an Email to your support group requesting the specific Kodak IT8 target that you want to use. It will be converted and you will be sent the instructions on how to use it inside the Input Profile Builder Filter Plug-in.
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Q: When doing the Approval Selective Color Edit process,why are there so many choices for editing Device Link profiles? There are not any selections in the drop-down menu.
A: We realize this is an issue; it should be resolved in the next version. The Custom Color Profile Import Filter will either apply the profile as the reference image is imported or not apply the profile. The way it is set up depends on how Photoshop will work with the image once it is displayed. When using the “No Color Management.icm” profile, there is no difference, but we suggest you get in the habit of applying the device link by following the procedure outlined in the Approval Selective Color Edit User Guide. This enables Photoshop to be setup using a standard reference CMYK profile.
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Q: In previous versions I was either unable to open some non-Kodak Device Link profiles, or else I would get a message " Profile Processor Error: Bad tag data" during export. Can I use them now?
A: In version 3.1 we reduced the stringent requirements of matching the ICC Profile specification. Many of the profiles that did not open in previous versions will work now.
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Q: What version of profiles does Custom Color Tools create? Are they compatible with other software?
A: The Input Profile Builder filter and Custom Color Export plug-in create ICC version 2.3.0 profiles, which conform to the ICC specification found at http://www.color.org/icc32.pdf. When a profile is edited, the newly edited version remains the same as the original; that is, version 2 profile will remain version 2 and a version 4 profile will remain as version 4.
The Custom Color Tools Import and the Apply Effects filters will open Version 2 and 4 profiles that conform to the current specification http://www.color.org/ICC1V42.pdf
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Q: Can I edit version 4 input ICC profiles?
A: Yes! Custom Color Tools will edit all ICC-compliant profiles. Some version 4 input profiles have more than that one rendering intent. Custom Color V3.1 only edits the perceptual rendering intent, but Photoshop will not use the perceptual rendering intent if the profile is only assigned (Image > Mode > Assign Profile…) to the image. It will
appear that the edit did not work because Photoshop does not use the perceptual transform until the image is actually converted using profiles (Image > Mode > Convert to Profile…). To apply the perceptual intent in Photoshop you must convert to a working space using the
perceptual rendering intent.
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Q: What is the behavior using the KPG un-encrypted output profiles?
A: Custom Color Tools can edit the input transforms (CMYK to Lab) of the KPG profiles. The KPG profiles initially only contain the input transform (CMYK to Lab); the output transform (Lab to CMYK) is created on-the-fly by the KPG CFM when needed for image processing. Refer to the Custom Color V 3.1 Users Guide Page 91-93."Special considerations when editing KPG CMYK output profiles" for more information. Other good sources of reference information if you are editing KPG profiles include the CFM Users Guide and the CFM Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: What is the behavior using KPG encrypted profiles?
A: Custom Color will not edit encrypted profiles. If they are used the Custom Color Profile Import plug-in will appear to open the reference image, but instead, a gray image will appear. Why did that happen? The import filter uses the Kodak CMM the KPG CFM.
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Q: What is the difference between device side editing and PCS side editing and what is the benefit of selecting one or the other?
A: Editing on the PCS side allows the edits to be device independent. This allows the same edits to be used to change other device profiles. With device side editing, the changes are only accurate for that particular ICC profile and device combination. Page 84 of the version 3.1Custom Color Tools User Guide has a table that explains where the editing is done, and gives some setup information.
Here is an example of using device side editing to solve a common CMYK problem; when the original profile will not convert a perfect white to 0% cyan, magenta, yellows, and black dot. For this example let’s use a combination of C1, M0, Y1 and K0 and change the 1% cyan and magenta to 0%. To do this you must edit on the device side of the profile and move the 1% dots to 0%. This type of edit cannot be done working on the PCS side of the profile because the profile may already be seeing what it considers to be a perfect white as far as PCS goes: L* 100, a*0, and b*0. In this example, you cannot make the white any brighter in PCS. These types of edits must be done to the cyan and yellow on the device side of the profile, forcing them to a zero percent dot value.
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Q: What is the best way to improve soft-proofing of an output profile? I can't get the View > Proof Colors option in Photoshop to display the soft proof dark enough.
A: This is another good example of editing on the PCS Side. Soft-proofing uses the input transform of an output profile. For this example a CMYK profile is used. The input transform converts from CMYK to Lab. Editing on the device side will not make the soft-proof dark enough. If the move is done on the PCS side, the image will soft-proof darker.
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Q: Can Custom Color Tools Edit HiFi Profiles?
A: Yes, Custom Color V3.x edits ICC-compliant HiFi profiles now, but only on the PCS (LAB) side of the profile. This can be used to modify the tone, balance, and saturation that is converted in the selected LAB-N Color transform (affects inking and subsequent display). This can also be used to modify the tone, balance, and saturation that is converted in the selected N Color- LAB transform (affects display only).
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Q: How can I also export a Device Effect or Abstract Profile?
A: If the option of "Save Edits as Profile" was selected in the Import menu's preferences, an extra profile containing only the edit is saved during the export. This profile is a device effects when the device link is saved or and abstract profile if a single device profile (input or output) is saved.
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Q: What causes a "Failed to locate a tracer in this image" error message when using the Custom Color Profile Edit export filter?
A: The export module is expecting the tracer to be at the bottom of the image and it cannot be edited using anything but the basic color correction tools. Using tools that change the tracer pixels, such as Clone Stamp resizing, unsharp masking, or selecting the Use Dither option in Convert to Profile changes the tracer too much and the Custom Color Profile Export filter will not be able to locate the tracer. The Custom Color Tools v 3.1 User Guide has more information about this on page 13 " How does Custom Color Tools record edits to a profile?", page 15 "What tools can be used for making color edits to profiles?" and page 97 " Creating the Device Link Profile"
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