Color Management

Color management is a category of image processing algorithms commonly needed in the graphic arts, office and photo imaging applications, as the color space in which the image is originally captured (for example, a scanner RGB space) is usually different from the one in which it is to be reproduced (say, a printer CMYK space). In the modern imaging systems, color management is most often implemented by separating the problem into two parts, namely, (a) capturing the properties of the imaging devices in the device profiles and (b) converting the images by means of a color management module (CMM) that uses the device profiles as guidance. The main challenge is then to develop a sufficiently accurate mapping from one multidimensional color space into another, while maintaining smooth transitions between the adjacent colors and ensuring acceptable reproduction of the out-of-gamut colors. Other challenges lie beyond the limits of the conventional approach, when there is a need for the systems to perform image-dependent, adaptive and spectral color mapping.

Publication

1. Dmitri A. Gusev, Color Gamut Characterization via Ray Tracing for Device Profile Generation, IS&T’s PICS 2003: The Digital Photography Conference, Rochester, NY (May 3-16, 2003) pp. 408-412

Patent applications

In 2005-2007, I co-authored 2 color management patent applications. The following application has been published at the Web site of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office:

• Yee S. Ng, Hwai-Tzuu Tai, Chung-Hui Kuo, Dmitri A. Gusev, Color Enhancement Method and System, Application #20070097461 (Filed Oct. 28, 2005).

Project

• Kodak NexPress 2100, 2100 Plus, 2500 and M700 digital color presses, NexGlosser glossing unit, and NexPress Intelligent Color solution for 5-color printing (Aug. 1999 – May 2007). Invented a new method and built a software tool for device color gamut characterization and ICC profile generation via ray tracing. Implemented a CMM as an integral part of the tool. Developed progressively improving color management solutions for 4-color and 5-color printing for Kodak’s award-winning NexPress digital presses and the NexGlosser glossing unit. Assisted scientists of the School of Print Media at RIT in establishing a substrate qualification program including custom ICC profile generation and verification. Evaluated performance of multiple color management tools, digital presses, and spectrophotometers as a color expert.