New CorelDRAW® Color Premium Edition Offer

This recently released version of CorelDRAW® 9 is designed for those requiring a fully color managed workflow for creation and output with CorelDRAW® 9. For detailed information on what the packages offers in addition to the standard CorelDRAW® 9 package, visit http://www.corel.com/draw9color/. This package has a suggested retail (upgrade) price of $499US/$775 CDN. Before ordering any software, please check that you have the latest order form as prices and products are subject to change without notice.

For more information on this product visit, http://www.corel.com/draw9color/

Corel Ventura™ 8 Service Pack #2 Released

Corel's premier desktop publishing product has be revised with the latest service pack release and is applicable to English (Intel) version of Corel Ventura™ 8.429 or 8.433. For more information or to download this service pack, goto: http://www.corel.com/support/ftpsite/pub/ventura/ventura8/index.htm

NOTE: This Service Pack is also included on the latest CASB Revision CD being sent automatically to all Corel PerfectImage members this month. Standard CASB members can receive this CD upon request only.

Corel contributes to new Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format for the Web

SVG, which is currently being developed, is the emerging standard for vector graphics on the Web. The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) is an international cross-industry organization which is developing vendor-neutral technology standards for the Web, and spearheading the development of SVG. Corel has been a part of the W3C's SVG working group since it was formed last year.

Web developers and CorelDRAW® 9 users will be interested to know that the new Scalable Vector Graphics format is being implemented initially in a public beta export filter for CorelDRAW® 9 and is available for download at: http://www.corel.com/draw9/svg.htm

For more information on this new emerging standard for vector graphics on the Web, and for details on Corel's contribution and commitment, visit: http://www.designer.com/focus/ask_experts_current.htm

Color Management

With the recent release of CorelDRAW® 9 Premium Color Edition, it seems like the opportune time to reintroduce color management and the Heidelberg's ColorOPEN ICC LE solution.

Color management is used to render colors consistently from device to device. Color in artwork must also be accurate and repeatable. This is achieved through color management systems. If a Color Matching System is the common language between people, a Color Management System is the lingua franca between devices. A color management system is meant to ensure that colors are accurate and consistent between the various devices involved in the publishing process so that the final result will be predictable.

Phosphors (RGB) versus pigments (CMYK)

Images are commonly displayed either on a monitor or on a printed surface.

Color monitor: Phosphors of three colors are used to produce an image on a monitor. These colors are red, green and blue (RGB).

Scanner device: Scanners also use RGB phosphors.

Printers and presses: Pigments of four colors are used to print an image. These colors, known as process colors, are cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK).

Not only are RGB and CMYK two totally different approaches to color rendition, but RGB phosphors differ from monitor to monitor and CMYK pigments differ from printer to printer. A consistent reference is needed to manage all this diversity. This is why we need profiles.

Devices that use RGB phosphors can see colors within the LAB color space. However, two RGB devices do not necessarily read the same values. Profiles are what we use to make the values correspond.

Profiles may also vary depending on which application you intend to use them with, e.g. Adobe typically understands Matrix profiles based on the Matrix Table which uses XYZ values.

Corel however also understands the 3D Lab Color Reference Space which Adobe does not recognize. This may affect the settings & options you choose when creating profiles.

The three components of color management

A color management system offers a common reference space, that is a space through which colors traveling from a scanner can be transformed on their way to being displayed on a monitor, and transformed again before passing from the monitor to a printer. This common reference space is known as a Reference Color System. For this Reference Color System to function as intended, it must be aware of the capabilities and variations of all the devices involved in the exchange of color data: the scanner, the monitor and the printer.

Color management includes three processes:

• Characterization

• Calibration

• Transformation

Characterization:
Describes a device's capabilities and limits. To characterize a device is to specify what colors it is capable of detecting (scanner), displaying (monitor) or printing (printer). Characterization is strictly the logging of an observation. It does not involve any changes to the device.

Calibration:
Adjusts and compensates for variations in the device. A device can perform differently over time. Calibration ensures consistency. It involves adjusting the device to tighten the range of variation. This ensures you get the results that you want.

Transformation:
Calculates conversions from one color model (e.g., RGB) to another (e.g., CMYK) – or between the same color model used in two different devices (e.g., RGB scanner and RGB monitor). With all devices characterized (identified for their capabilities) and calibrated (adjusted to lessen variations), the color management system can now proceed to pass colors from one device to the next with maximum color accuracy and consistency (transformation). This transformation process is known as color correction. In CorelDRAW® 8, this is done by choosing Tools - Options - Global - Color Management and selecting the option "Calibrate colors for display".

Heidelberg Color Management system

The Heidelberg Color Management system comes in the form of a three-in-one application designed to enable you to render colors consistently from device to device. It comprises three programs, one for each device and covers the three steps of the color management process: characterization, calibration and transformation. The name of this three-in-one application is ColorOpen ICC and the version which comes with CorelDRAW® 9 Premium Color Edition is the light or limited version, ColorOpen ICC LE (i.e. some options are unavailable).

• ColorOpen ICC

• ScanOpen ICC

• PrintOpen ICC

ColorOpen ICC
ColorOpen ICC is the first of the three programs and is used to characterize and create a profile for your monitor. This is always the first step in the Color Management process. Monitor calibration plays a vital part in you getting the results you require. It should be carried out approximately once a week or at the very least before commencing a new large-scale job. Remember that using different monitor profiles allows you to emulate the finished output on screen.

ScanOpen ICC
With the ScanOpen ICC program you can record and automatically analyze the colorimetric characteristics of a scanner or digital camera. Based on this analysis you can then generate a calibration table for use as an ICC input profile for the device.

PrintOpen ICC
PrintOpen is the final program in the series and is slightly different in that it is a self-contained program unlike the other two which are solely wizard based. PrintOpen also has a wizard which assists you in creating an ICC output profile.

Technical Support Tales From Our Database

This Issue... using VERY large text sizes in CorelDRAW® 9 beyond 3000 points.

Problem: Unable to create text large than a 3000 point size from with CorelDRAW® 9. Numerically, it ignores higher values and attempts to scale otherwise cause it to snap back to 3000pnts.

 

Explanation: 3000 point text is the theoretical limit for text size within CorelDRAW® 9, however by either converting it to curves or grouping it with any graphic object, can then be transformed by scaling as need be.

CorelNews is presented here as a portion of an original Corel Service Bureau News, distributed solely for Corel Authorized Service Bureaus (CASB). Content concerning only CASB's has been omitted for brevity. All other information is unaltered from original document content, only the layout has been changed. For more information, contact the Corel Authorized Service Bureau page at: http://casb.corel.com