Color Management

Work Items:
[randy] Download profiles from a central server (send monitor id to server):
[raof] Install gnome-color-manager and icc-profiles by default on Desktop CD:
[till] Find what printer drivers support profiles:
[kwii] Find what calibration devices work in Ubuntu:
[robert-ancell] Add a popup dialog like in resolution change "Do you want to keep this setting, will revert in n seconds":
[ivanka] Work with OEM/QA to populate colour profiles:
[robert-ancell] Run colour management clinic at UDS N as a way of getting lots of different hardware profiles to include:
[robert-ancell] Add links from device dialogs where appropriate to the color management dialog:
[robert-ancell] Fix inconsistent colour/color spelling in gnome-color-manager:

[troy_s] While I am all plus one for color management, and seriously second this concept, there are some worries here.

Color management _can_ cause problems in workflows. In fact, if one is not well versed in what they are doing, color management will only add a layer of complexity and _increase_ the risk of botching their image manipulations.

So to this end, and much like every other design question in our culture, the question is about "Who".

"Easy enough for all users" is not only hideously ridiculous as a target demographic, it is also questionable from a beginner artist / designer perspective. The last thing you need to do is have someone "flip on" color management and end up with a slew of photographs that are green or pink tinted because the individual didn't understand the principles.

Color management is quite simply something that isn't applicable to a hobby / beginner's approach.

[humphreybc]
I agree. I don't think it's a particularly high priority that we support color management by default in Ubuntu. Most people get on fine without it, and those that need it will probably already know enough to look it up and install it. The preferences and administration menus are already huge enough without having yet another customizable option that hardly anyone will use.

[bryce]
Where I've seen this come up the most is with Inkscape, and users who want to send their work to a print shop and have the materials come back with the correct colors. So like a really narrow (but important) use case would be making a PDF of some company brochure and have it come back with the logo in the corporate-approved colors.

[troy_s] The question here wasn't whether or not CM should be included, It's a mandatory and critical part of a contemporary operating system. The question here is a design related one, and in that case, my sole issue is with the audience cited. Without CM, we are yet another step toward hobby bushleague rubbish.

In terms of audience, I'd trade ten thousand Windows converts for one industry grade creative. Without CM, the chance of that is zero.

[troy_s] Also, in terms of the 2nd point, this is precisely incorrect. You never would download a profile. Ever. You _must_ use hardware to calibrate and profile your display. Without hardware calibration and profiling, a guess is no better than default.

[raof] Troy: I think you're focussing too much on professional level problems. Yes, professionals will never use a downloaded profile - they'll have the colour calibration hardware, and will be running a calibration frequently. Integrating gnome-color-manager will make it easier for them.

There is, however, another target audience here: everyone else. At least some monitor drivers for Windows contain manufacturer driver profiles, and Apple apparently embeds a profile in the EDID of all their monitors. These aren't going to be sufficient for professional use, and probably not for enthusiast photographic use, but it will give all users more consistent colours everywhere on the desktop if we can apply them.

[troy_s] All on the Argyll hardware list should work quite well. Better assuming there are udev rules established.

Can we get colour calibration in the desktop and easy?
 -
 Can we ship a default set of different kinds of monitors?
 - will be too big so can we have it on a server?
 - repository of links to the manufacturers

 - Is gnome-color-manager appropriate for Ubuntu users?
   - Yes, if you don't understand it you wont use it

= Monitors =
 - Having one calibration device working is sufficient for now
   - We need to get the manufacturers to take us more seriously
 - What do monitors tell us on the hardware?
   - Good monitors have calibration data built in (Apple monitors)
 - Can we get OEM to include profiles on hardware?
 - Need to deliver some default colour profiles:
  - icc-profiles package (7M)

= Printers =
 - Users may not be aware about printer calibration
 - Not many freely available printer profiles
 - Often embedded into proprietary drivers
 - GNOME Color manager to simple for printing - need to set profile per paper type
 - Paper type e.g. Glossy/ Matte should be selectable when printing like paper size - adjusts accordingly

= Scanners =
 - Already handled by existing applications
sum
= Cameras =
 - Already handled by existing applications