CIELAB
CIELAB or LAB is a mathematical colour model that has become established wherever exact colour calculations are required. Computer colour management usually works via CIELAB.
Lexicon
CMYK
CMYK stands for the four printing inks Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and “Key” (Black) . These four inks are the base of four-color printing. For printing colorful photos at least these four inks are required.
Color proof
Color proofs (correct: contract proofs) are an ISO-certified test equipment for the graphic arts industry. Color proofs simulate the colorfulness of offset or gravure printing in a color and legally binding manner within the narrow tolerances of ISO 12647-7. Today, they are almost exclusively calculated using a RIP and then produced with inkjet printers on special proof papers.
Colorimeter
A colour measuring device for measuring/comparing colours.
It is often used for the calibration of monitors or in biology/chemistry for analysis. More powerful devices, such as the spectrophotometer, can measure colours spectrally and are also used, among other things, for proofs to verify or calibrate printers.
Colorimetry
Colorimetry, or colour theory, is the science of colour.
It is primarily concerned with an objective and measurable evaluation and definition of colour valences (the visual perception of colour), as well as their relationships to one another.
Colour cast
When a coloured image appears as if a coloured filter is placed over it, this is called a colour cast. In printing, this is caused by a poor gray balance.
Colour depth
Specifies how many different colour shades can be displayed.
Colour distance
The measured distance (colour difference) between two colours. The colour locations of the two colour values are displayed within a system and the difference is given in Delta-E.
Colour gamut
The colour gamut (or simply: gamut) refers to the range of all colours in a colour space that can be recognised (camera, scanner) or reproduced (printer, monitor) by a device.
It is visualised in the form of a colour solid.
Colour location
The colour location describes the position of a measured or selected colour within a colour space. This is often defined by coordinates, e.g. using L, a and b in the CIELab colour space.
The set of all the colour locations in a colour space is called the colour gamut (or gamut).
Colour management
With colour management it can be achieved that colours on different devices like cameras, scanners, monitors, laser, inkjet, offset printers and many more can be reproduced as similar as possible to each other.
Colour measurement
Colour measurement is used to determine the exact colour location of a colour in a colour system.
Colour mode
The colour mode is a setting that determines the depth to which colours can be displayed in an image file. This also affects the size of the file.
The most common colour modes are RGB, CMYK, Lab, Index mode, Greyscale and Bitmap.
Colour model
A colour model (or colour system) is an abstract mathematical method for determining and specifying colours and their relationship to each other.
It is sometimes referred to as colour space, although the latter is the concrete application of a colour model to a colour-producing method (printer, monitor, etc.).
Colour profile
A colour profile stores the characteristic features of a colour processing device.
These can be scanners, printers and monitors.
With the help of colour profiles it is possible to see what kind of colour range a device can represent.
Colour proof
Colour proofs (correct: contract proofs) are an ISO-certified test equipment for the graphic arts industry. Colour proofs simulate the colourfulness of offset or gravure printing in a colour and legally binding manner within the narrow tolerances of ISO 12647-7. Today, they are almost exclusively calculated using a RIP and then produced with inkjet printers on special proof papers.
Colour scale
1. standardised printing colours (process colours) for four-colour printing (CMYK), e.g. the Euroscale.
2. proof scale: A schematic ink sample that is produced during a press proof and serves as a basis for assessing a print in the production run.
Colour separation
During te process of colour separation, a colourful digital image is broken down into separate colour separations according to its colour components.
Colour space
A colour space is based on a colour model, and is its concrete application to a colouring method (printer, monitor, etc). It therefore contains all colours that can actually be represented through this method and the associated materials.
Colour system
A colour system (or colour model) is an abstract mathematical method for determining and specifying colours and their relationship to each other.
It is sometimes referred to as colour space, although the latter is the concrete application of a colour model to a colour-producing method (printer, monitor, etc.).