Color Settings - Illustrator : Adobe illustrator

What is the "BEST" policy for opening client files into a color managed environment? The risk of double-profiling runs deep. Printing from the APP directly or choosing the printers's driver interface changes the results. Just printing a raster file from Photoshop or Illustrator produces different results.

Our settings are default to the global North American Prepress 2 and we have opened files under the policy to "Convert to working space" which was "Adobe RGB (1998)" for years until we finally profiled our systems with Monaco (now X-rite?) 6 years ago. Since that time we have set our RGB working space to that of the profiled monitors on each system.

Opening a file with an embedded profile produces questions - basically: "keep, convert or toss?" Each choice produces wildly different results. Not only that - but doesn't printing from the target printers' driver (or RIP) require that you "turn off" color mangement from within the APPS (Photoshop/Illustrator) themselves?

I remain convinced that the BEST POLICY is to open ANY file within your "working space" because that is your calibrated production FACT. Seeing it any other way - isn't reality, certainly not the reality found within the corral of your absolute production parameters.

i.e. Photographers are now demanding that we use ProPhoto RGB as their intended production profile even though I don't know of any ink-jet/laser printer (pigment)that can even 'knock on the door" of that color space. Best to my knowledge - only a monitor (light) can approach that gamut.

For these "distinctive" clients - how would YOU approach their file? Is it best to open:

a) "converted to 'our native' working space" and then have a policy of "Soft-Proofing" the file via "View>Proof Setup>Custom" to see their profile within our working space?

OR

b) "preserve embedded profile" and then change our "RGB and CMYK working spaces" to the customers' systems profile' (as they want us to do). This seems not only counter productive to me...but introduces unintended values that now begin to richochet about in double-profiling issues.

OR

c) is it best to let the APP make the color-mangement decisions?

OR

d) is it best to let the printer driver (RIP) make those decisions?

I know this is a loaded topic to respond to - so I'd equally appreciate any link to several good condensed answers.

Since that time we have set our RGB working space to that of the profiled
monitors on each system.




Why would you do such a thing?

The entire point of profile-based color management is to work in a device indepedent space that assures the greatest working flexibility (e.g., file exchangeability) while maintaining color accuracy through final output. Conversion to the space of the output device -- whether that be a printer, a monitor, etc. -- is performed on the fly using the appropriate profiles.

I remain convinced that the BEST POLICY is to open ANY file within your
"working space" because that is your calibrated production FACT.




Working in (and tagging your files with) a space that is unique to your production environment -- as would be the case if you use a monitor profile created by a calibrator -- makes no sense unless your monitor is the only intended output device for your work and you're sure you would never be repurposing those files for other output.

As for your color management workflow, it's difficult to recommend a specific practice without knowing, for example, exactly what kind of output services you provide to your photographers who are "demanding" a ProPhoto RGB "production" profile. Clearly, you want to keep space conversions to a minimum and avoid conversions between widely different spaces.

Recommended reading are essays by Ian Lyons at his site (http://www.computer-darkroom.com) and those by the late Bruce Fraser, which you can locate via Google search. You might also search and ask questions over at the Color Management forum.

HARRON-

Thanks for the clarifications!