PixelGenius, LLC has added a free ICC profile for the new Epson Stylus® Photo 2880 Printers designed to work with the Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper. The free profiles are available from the PixelGenius web site on this page. This brings the number of free profiles available to 10 including profiles for the R2400, 3/4/7/9800 series as well as the 4/7/9/11880 series printers.

METACOW: A Public-Domain, HighResolution, Fully-Digital, Noise-Free, Metameric, Extended-Dynamic-Range, Spectral Test Target for Imaging System Analysis and Simulation

Geek Alert: the following would really only excite a “color geek”…

Bill Crow, the Microsoft Program Manager for HD Photo (originally code named Photon) says on his blog, that the final versions of the plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS2 and CS3 are available for download. The download is free.
The plug-ins are available for both Windows as well as Macintosh. For the Windows, XP SP2 or Vista is supported. For Mac, both 10.4 (Tiger) and 10.5 (Leopard) are supported. The plug-in development was done by Microsoft in conjunction with Pegasus Imaging Systems.
HD Photo, which uses an expanded color space named scRGB has the capability to encode high-dynamic range (HDR) images in a wider color gamut color space.

Source: CNET
Written by Stephan Shankland

For a computer, dealing with color is just another math problem. And Microsoft wants to change the way your PC counts.

The company has developed a color space–a way to encode colors as numbers a computer can process–called scRGB. If the company succeeds in getting it to catch on, the technology could help add depth and richness to photos taken with digital cameras and viewed on a computer or TV screen.

PixelGenius has posted their profiles for the new Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper due to be shipping in November, 2007. Working with Epson, PixelGenius members Andrew Rodney and Jeff Schewe (an Epson Sylus Pro member) have been testing the Exhibition Fiber Paper (EFP) over the summer. At the suggestion of Dan (Dano) Steinhardt from Epson, PixelGenius created ICC profiles for all of the current and new shipping Epson UltraChrome K3™ printers–including the Epson Stylus® Photo R2400 Printers.

Concerned with color consistency?

Adobe just posted a new color management module (CMM) on Adobe.com as a free download at http://www.adobe.com/downloads/. The move is the latest in Adobe’s effort to advance open, vendor-neutral color management systems.

 X-Rite i1Display Products Unveil Affordability With Uncompromised Color Accuracy To Broader Audience at PMA 07

Press Release: LAS VEGAS, NV – Photo Marketing Association (PMA®) International Trade Show – March 1st, 2007 – X-Rite Incorporated, a global leader and internationally known name in color technology, unveils its dynamic X-Rite i1®Display hardware/software monitor calibration solutions for the growing digital imaging market – including a first-ever look at the latest X-Rite i1Display monitor calibration offering for enthusiasts, X-Rite i1®DisplayLT – at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA®) International Convention Trade Show, March 8 – 11, 2007 in Las Vegas.

Adobe has publically announced a prerelease of the Adobe Color Engine (ACE) as a stand alone library that can be used by non-Adobe applications.

ACE is built into Adobe products and therefore couldn’t be used by non-Adobe products. This project takes a chunk of ACE (the color conversion engine) and packages it for use by applications that support external color management modules using ColorSync on the Mac OS and ICM2/WCS on Windows.

Press Release: AKRON, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–X-Rite, Incorporated (NASDAQ:XRIT – News) will offer a seminar this November through February 2007 designed to help creative directors, designers, photographers and production managers unleash the power of their color. “Color Without Limits” will be presented in 20 major US and Canadian cities with support from HP, Apple, Adobe, Quark, Popular Photography & Imaging Magazine, Wasatch and PaperSpecs.

GreytagMacbeth releases ProfileMaker 5.0.7 including 64 bit support for Windows and MacIntel Universal Binary support for Mac OS X for Intel.

Press Release: Grandville, Mich., July 5, 2006 – X-Rite, Incorporated (Nasdaq: XRIT), a global leader offering color measurement technology solutions, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Amazys Holding AG for a purchase price of CHF 77 per share plus 2.11 shares of X-Rite, Incorporated stock for each Amazys share. The total purchase price on the settlement date of July 5, 2006 was approximately $280 million. The acquisition was financed through a combination of cash, debt and X-Rite stock. Amazys develops, markets and supports hardware, software and services to measure and communicate color under the GretagMacbeth brand. The combined company will be called X-Rite, Incorporated.

Source: SeattlePI.com via AP

ZURICH, Switzerland — Swiss conglomerate Eichhof Holding AG said Friday it’s considering a bid on Amazys Holding AG (and it’s subsidiary GretagMacbeth), which is currently in takeover talks with X-Rite Inc. of the United States.

In an email sent to color consultants today, GretagMacbeth announced their intention to merge with X-Rite. From the email:

It is my pleasure to share with you some exciting news. Today, we are announcing our intent to join forces with X-Rite, also a recognized leader in the color industry.

CHROMiX ships ColorThink Pro, a major upgrade to it’s color management and profile utility.

ColorThink Pro offers enhancements to 3D color graphing and ICC color profile analysis for Mac OS X and Windows 2000/XP. Also introduced is a ground-breaking Color Worksheet tool for workflow modeling and color analysis, and the new ColorCast profile technology.

Pixmantec Partners With ETCETERA Consulting To Provide Sophisticated Color Profiles For Canon And Nikon Digital SLRs

Press Release: Copenhagen, November 15, 2005: Danish digital imaging specialists Pixmantec ApS are pleased to announce the immediate release of RawShooter | Color Engine. A plug‐in for both existing and forthcoming RawShooter RAW workflow applications, RawShooter |Color Engine provides discerning photographers with an excellent alternative to the standard RawShooter profiles. Designed in cooperation with color expert Magne Nilsen of ETCETERA Consulting, RawShooter | Color Engine seamlessly integrates into all RawShooter applications. Built using an advanced architecture, RawShooter | Color Engine delivers a level of sophistication that has yet to be seen in DSLR profile management and thus has the potential or exciting enhancements to come.

Press Release: CHROMiX today announced ColorCast, a new color simulation and modeling technology used with ICC color profiles.

ColorCast technology alters ICC profiles by embedding color transformations into normal ICC device profiles. The result is a profile that is usable with any ICC compatible system but contains complex proofing or modeling transformations.

Adobe Acrobat-based soft proofing workflow approved for advertisers and publishers of web-printed publications

Press Release: Minneapolis, MN – Advertisers, agencies and major publishers have reacted favorably to last week’s SWOP certification of CGS Publishing Technologies International’s digital soft proofing system. With solid approvals by the review committee, CGS’ interactive soft proofing system, ORIS Soft Proof, was granted SWOP certification for the 23″ Apple Cinema and the Eizo ColorEdge CG2200 displays.

Source: Rob Galbraith

GretagMacbeth is readying both a new release of Eye-One Match software as well as new hardware for inclusion in certain Eye-One colour management packages.

Press Release: Grandville, MI — October 5, 2005 — X-Rite (NASDAQ: XRIT) today announced that Epson will bundle X-Rite premium ICC profiles, Complete Guide to Color Management publication, and a demo version of MonacoEZcolor color management software with each Epson Stylus Photo R2400. The Epson Stylus Photo R2400 is a revolutionary printer that uses the new Epson UltraChrome K3™ ink and delivers large, archival prints worthy of gallery display.

Kodak Names CHROMIX New Channel Partner For Award-Winning KODAK COLORFLOW Custom Color Tools

Press Release: ROCHESTER, N.Y., September 30 – Kodak today announced an agreement with CHROMIX, a new channel partner for distribution and customer support for the award-winning KODAK COLORFLOW Custom Color Tools profile editing software in North America.

New Windows Color System to provide greater color accuracy and fidelity for Windows-based PCs.

Press Release: REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 13, 2005 — Microsoft Corp. and Canon Inc. today announced another major milestone resulting from the companies’ strategic alliance: a new color management system for the upcoming Microsoft® Windows Vista™ operating system.

Color guru Bruce Fraser unrolls the creativepro.com glossary of color terminology.

Source: Creativepro.com
Written By Bruce Fraser

For some time now I’ve been explicating the finer points of color management in this column, and while I’ve strived to define terminology when needed, the conviction that a permanent, at-your-ready glossary would help tremendously has grown each and every month.

Color Management for Photographers : Hands on Techniques for Photoshop Users. Andrew Rodney reports that he’s recieved his author’s copies and Focal Press is now shipping the book.

This new book addresses the difficult subject of color management in a way that can help you get real work accomplished. Complete with what-button-to-push-when explanations, this guide will help you navigate color management and further solidify comprehension of techniques with self-paced tutorials that enable you to practice what Rodney preaches.

Press Release: Grandville, MI – August 1, 2005 –X-Rite (NASDAQ: XRIT) today announced that its Pulse™ ColorElite System has received the 2005 PIA/GATF Intertech Technology Award, one of the most coveted awards in the graphic arts industry. The Pulse ColorElite System was selected by a panel of independent judges from a record 52 nominations.

Press Release: GRANDVILLE, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 13, 2005–X-Rite (NASDAQ: XRIT – News) today announced that its new Pulse ColorElite System has won Photoshop User Magazine’s Five Star Award.