Integrated DeviceLink profiles

Definition

This is a special variant of ICC profiles that maps a color conversion directly from the source to the target in ONE profile. Each color of the source color space is hence directly mapped to a specific color of the target color space. Thereby, source and target color space can vary or be the same depending on the purpose of a DeviceLink profile. Unlike in ICC profiles that can be combined freely as source and target profiles, a special DeviceLink profile is calculated for each specific task. DeviceLink profiles are specified by the International Color Consortium (ICC).

Advantages of DeviceLink profiles vis-à-vis Standard ICC profiles

DeviceLink profiles complement the use of standard ICC profiles to bypass the weak points of an ICC profile based color conversion for specific tasks. These are available primarily during conversion from CMYK to CMYK and in a custom-made conversion or optimization for specific purposes - e.g. preservation of a font in an image built in pure black.

Another advantage of the DeviceLink technology is that color data can be changed only when it is effectively necessary. If no change is necessary, the separation is also not changed - a fact that is rather impossible during the ICC profile based conversion!

Weak points of ICC-based color space conversion

For a conversion of already “separated” CMYK print data, a pure ICC profile based approach is not optimum, because some architecture-specific features of the CMYK original data are lost. This is substantiated by the fact that a conversion from CMYK (4-channel) to CMYK (4-channel) via ICC profiles is always via the device-independent color space Lab (3-channel) and hence necessarily leads to a complete reseparation of the already separated data - with partially unforeseen and typographically unwanted results.

DeviceLink profiles are particularly suitable wherever complete print data (e.g. as PDF) must be converted from CMYK to CMYK, because here a specific control of the color structure is possible, e.g. to get specific colors or color combinations.

Most prominent example is the black generation that can be acquired through conversion using a DeviceLink profile. Therefore, you can be sure that a text built in pure black or a technical tone consists of only pure black even after the conversion. Similarly, uncolored tones (CMK, MYK, CYK) or combinations from primary or secondary colors can be retained.

Source

From: PDF Document “DeviceLink_FAQ”, Impressed Computertechnologie Vertriebs GmbH

List

callas DeviceLink Add-on is delivered with a package of the most common DeviceLink profiles but also offers the possibility to install your own. Please find a list of profiles here:

  • Sheetfed offset, coated to uncoated paper (Europe)
    • Conversion from ISO Coated v2 (ECI) to ISO Uncoated (ECI) (maximum 280% ink coverage)
  • Sheetfed offset, coated to uncoated paper (PSO)
    • Conversion from ISO Coated v2 (ECI) to PSO Uncoated (ECI) (maximum 280% ink coverage)
  • Sheetfed offset, Europe to US (GRACoL)
    • Conversion from ISO Coated v2 (ECI) european to GRACoL US standard (max. 300% ink coverage)
  • Sheetfed offset, Europe to Japan
    • Conversion from ISO Coated v2 (ECI) european to Japan Color 2001 Coated
  • Sheetfed offset Europe to Web offset US (SWOP)
    • Conversion from ISO Coated v2 (ECI) european to SWOP US standard (grade 3 paper, max. 300% ink coverage)
  • Sheetfed offset, reduce to 300% ink limit (Europe)
    • Limit ISO Coated v2 (ECI) to 300% TAC
  • Sheetfed offset, reduce to 300% ink limit, only if above 305% (Europe)
    • Limit ISO Coated v2 (ECI) to 300% TAC, only for vector and text objects above 305% and imageas above 310%
  • Sheetfed offset to Newspaper (IFRA)
    • Conversion from ISO Coated v2 (ECI) to ISO News print (26% dotgain, max. 240% ink coverage)
  • Sheetfed offset to updated v2 profile (Europe)
    • Conversion from ISOcoated to ISO Coated v2 (ECI) (maximum 330% ink coverage)
  • Sheetfed offset to Web offset on improved LWC paper
    • Conversion from ISO Coated v2 (ECI) to PSO LWC improved (ECI) (LWC paper, max. 300% ink coverage)
  • Sheetfed offset to Web offset on LWC paper (Europe)
    • Conversion from ISO Coated v2 (ECI) to ISO Web Coated (ECI) (LWC paper, max. 300% ink coverage)
  • Sheetfed offset to Web offset on SC paper (Europe)
    • Conversion from ISO Coated v2 (ECI) to SC paper (heatset, super calendered)
  • Sheetfed offset, US (GRACoL) to Europe
    • Conversion from GRACoL US to ISO Coated v2 (ECI) standard (maximum 300% ink coverage)
  • Web offset, Europe to Japan
    • Conversion from ISO Web Coated (ECI) to Japan Web Coated (Ad)
  • Web offset, Europe to US (SWOP)
    • Conversion from ISO Web Coated (ECI) to Web Coated SWOP 2006 Grade 3 Paper (heatset, max. 300% ink coverage)
  • Web offset (LWC improved) to Newspaper (IFRA)
    • Conversion from PSO LWC improved (ECI) to ISO News print (26% dotgain, max. 240% ink coverage)
  • Web offset, LWC improved to Japan
    • Conversion from PSO LWC improved (ECI) to Japan Web Coated (Ad)
  • Web offset, LWC improved to US (SWOP)
    • Conversion from PSO LWC improved (ECI) to Web Coated SWOP 2006 Grade 3 Paper (heatset, max. 300% ink coverage)
  • Web offset to Newspaper (IFRA)
    • Conversion from ISO Web Coated (ECI) to ISO News print (26% dotgain, max. 240% ink coverage)
  • Web offset, US (SWOP) to Europe
    • Conversion from Web Coated SWOP 2006 Grade 3 Paper to ISO Web Coated (ECI) (LWC paper, max. 300% ink coverage)
  • Web offset US (SWOP) to Newspaper (IFRA)
    • Conversion from Web Coated SWOP 2006 Grade 3 Paper to ISO News print (26% dotgain, max. 240% ink coverage)
  • Web offset, US (SWOP) to LWC improved
    • Conversion from Web Coated SWOP 2006 Grade 3 Paper to PSO LWC improved (ECI) (LWC paper, max. 300% ink coverage)

Return to callas pdfToolbox

videos

Playlist

Did you like the video? Then you might want to have a look at related videos in the following playlist!

Back to overview