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What is your ColorSync doing in my Mozilla?

by CHRIS NELSON | Mozilla.org recently announced ColorSync support for Mozilla. So, what exactly is ColorSync? And how does it fit into Mozilla? We'll first discuss a little about what ColorSync is, then follow up with what is really going on with ColorSync/Mozilla by talking a little with Eric Broadbent of Apple.

So, what is ColorSync, and what good does it do me?

ColorSync is a technology that aids in the display of color images in different media, by means of a standardized system of device profiling. A calibrated device like a monitor or scanner or printer is put through a profiling process to determine the quality and extent of its color range. The data gathered is placed into a profile of that particular device. ColorSync utilizes International Color Consortium (ICC) profiling format standards to handle the profiling side of the equation.

Different devices have different color ranges, and few display the same color the same way. That's where ColorSync comes in. ColorSync basically creates an independent color space for the translation of color from one profile to another. For example, by reading in and interpreting the characteristics of a particular scanner's profile, ColorSync can then map between that color profile and the profile of a monitor on the same system. The result is an image on the screen that comes much closer to matching the look of the original scanned image.

You can also use ColorSync in hypothetical situations. By knowing the monitor profile, the proofer profile, and the press profile, you can simulate the press output of an image right on your screen.

Make any sense? If not, visit the ColorSync site at Apple to find out more.

Next page: So, what's the deal with Mozilla and ColorSync?

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