Scanners and digital cameras typically deliver color to the computer in RGB (red, green, blue) format. By leaving the color in the images in original RGB format, the images can then be converted on-the-fly by the application software at the time printing is done. Images previously saved in CMYK format can also be processed in a mixed color work flow because color management also supports CMYK-to-CMYK conversions at print time. Another advantage of working in mixed color mode is that the images, unharmed by color conversion, can be modified for reproduction on a variety of printing technologies and media at print time. Printing on newsprint, then on gloss offset, then converting images for presentation on the Internet is typical of the way images are managed in production in the modern graphic arts world. Saving original RGB files is the best way to maintain as many options as possible for output. QuarkXPress has effective (but incomplete) controls for managing color at print time. Though these controls provide effective color management, third-party XTensions (Praxisoft Compass Pro XT, for example) provide more complete control, including control over rendering intent for each image and color specification in an XPress document. See also QuarkXPress CMYK work flow. |