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Using application-based color management – HP 8700 User Manual

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Tip

For best results when printing photos in black and white, make sure you

install the HP Gray Photo print cartridge and select the Print in Grayscale
option in the Print dialog box (Windows) or the Grayscale option in the Color
pop-up menu of the Print dialog box (Mac OS). For finer control over the
conversion of color photos to black and white, use image editing software to
control the conversion.

Using application-based color management

Application-based color management offers more sophisticated control than the
printer-based form, but also involves greater complexity and more steps.
For information on the printer-based color management built into the HP Photosmart
8700 series, see

Using printer-based color management

.

Using application-based color management can involve:

Using device profiles: Application-based color management relies on files called
ICC

3

device profiles. An ICC profile describes a device's color space. The

software component of your color management system uses these profiles to
convert colors between each device's color space. The HP Photosmart 8700
series Typical software installation installs HP ICC profiles automatically for the
printer.

Calibrating the monitor: Monitors exhibit a color degradation over time that can
interfere with producing professional quality printed photography. As a result, the
ICC profile that comes with most new monitors gradually becomes invalid and no
longer accurately reflects the color space available on the device. Calibrating the
monitor at least once a month to produce a custom ICC profile is the best way to
ensure that the color space available on the monitor is accurately defined for your
color management system. You can calibrate a monitor visually using system or
utility software, such as Adobe Gamma, but this type of calibration does not meet
the high-quality standards expected for professional photography. Professionals
usually invest in a calibration kit consisting of software and a piece of hardware
that captures the current state of the RGB environment on the monitor and saves
it as a custom ICC profile. Monitor calibration kits are available from
GretagMacBeth, Monaco Systems, and LaCie, as well as other manufacturers.

In order to print using application-based color management features, you have to
change settings in the printer driver software and in the image editing software. Here
is one example of a typical print job using application-based color management in
Adobe Photoshop (version 7 or CS). See the documentation that came with your
image-editing software for complete instructions on using the product's color
management features.

To print using application-based color management
1.

Open the photo you want to print in Adobe Photoshop.

2.

Select File > Print with Preview in Adobe Photoshop.

3.

Make sure Show More Options is checked in the Print with Preview dialog box,
then select Color Management from the pop-up menu.

3

International Color Consortium. ICC enables profile-based color management solutions. For more
information, see www.color.org.

Chapter 4

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HP Photosmart 8700 series