1 / 30

Windows Color Architecture Part 1

Windows Color Architecture Part 1. Michael Bourgoin Program Manager for Color Windows Printing and Imaging Microsoft Corporation. Session Goals. Attendees should leave this session with the following An understanding of the problems with existing color management systems

fallon
Download Presentation

Windows Color Architecture Part 1

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Windows Color Architecture Part 1 Michael Bourgoin Program Manager for Color Windows Printing and Imaging Microsoft Corporation

  2. Session Goals • Attendees should leave this session with the following • An understanding of the problems with existing color management systems • An overview of the architecture of the new Windows Color System (WCS) to be delivered in Windows “Longhorn” • An understanding of the opportunities enabled by the new color architecture

  3. Session Outline • Why the new Windows Color System • Color Market Segmentation • Color Market Forces • Color User Frustration • Inadequacy of existing color management system (CMS) solutions • Requirements for Windows Color System • Problem statement • Vision • Benefits • Features

  4. The Color Imaging Market

  5. Color Market Segmentation • Color Professionals • Professional Digital Photographers • Graphic Arts Professionals • Color Service Bureaus • Prosumers • Enthusiasts, early adopters • Characterized by digital single lens reflex cameras (SLRs) • Strongly influenced by Color Professionals • Knowledge Workers • Jobs require using a computer to collect, process, present, and apply information. They are producing presentations, websites, and documents with increasing color content in networked environments with increasing numbers of color devices • Home Users • Primarily printing and sharing digital snapshots

  6. professional gear Reads magazines, takes classes, buys Digital Imaging Chain Of Influence Professionals Leading edge adopters, advanced digital workflow Enthusiasts and “ Prosumers ” Mass Market Consumers ’ “What camera should I buy?” “What is the best photo printer?” “So should I get a new computer?”

  7. Color Market Forces • Dynamic growth of digital camera market • Proliferation of consumer color printers • Proliferation of office workgroup color printers • Enterprise in-sourcing of short-run color print jobs • Emergence of high dynamic range (HDR) and large gamut color devices • Adoption of Camera RAW imaging workflows by professional digital photographers

  8. Color Source Applications

  9. Color Quality Requirements • Print Matches Monitor • WYSIWYG between a pair of devices • Not necessarily accurate color, but a good appearance match • Consistent Color • WYSIWYG across an arbitrarily large set of devices • Again not necessarily accurate, but a good appearance match • Critical Color • Color must be both consistent across devices, and meet more stringent requirements for quality • Contract Color • Where color accuracy and quality are contractual obligations: e.g., the contract proof/acceptance scenario

  10. Color Expertise And Quality Criteria

  11. Color Problems

  12. Common Color Problems • Display doesn’t match printer output – what to do? • OS, application, driver, or device – who’s doing the color management? • Color user interfaces (UI) are to complex, confusing, and inconsistent – even from the same vendor • Color device configuration and calibration is too difficult • No consistent color management across applications • No consistent color management across devices • Color errors and rework to correct them is a major cost issue • Too much color expertise is required to produce acceptable results • Color problems are difficult to debug and correct: in commercial color workflows it is often difficult to assign responsibility for incorrect color

  13. Problems With Windows Color Today • No consistent color management across Windows applications • GDI\GDI+ effectively limits color to 8 bpc sRGB • sRGB’s limited gamut is a liability – unsuitable for HDR and wide gamut devices • Color UI is difficult to find, hard to use, and confusing • Who’s doing the color management: operating system, application, driver or device? • No operating system-supplied calibration tools • Poor developer documentation • Lack of good system-level CMS has driven IHVs towardproprietary solutions • Poor system-level CMS has driven color professionalsto other platforms

  14. Importance Rated Extremely or Very Performance Rated Extremely or Very Effective Attributes GAP Shortcomings Of Current Color Management Solutions Trends and Issues in Adoption of Color Management in Graphic Arts, 2001 Study prepared for NPES by Nima Hunter Inc. Marketing Advisory Services, NY

  15. Systemic Problem With ICC CMSUndefined PCS Gamut Measurement Data The ICC Profile Connection Space (PCS), an “idealized reflection print” color space, has no specified gamut boundary. Profile creators are forced to guess: different guesses mean… ? ? • Incompatible profiles • Poor interoperability Vendor 1’s PCS gamut guess Vendor 2’s PCS gamut guess

  16. The Windows Color System

  17. Vision“Color you can trust and control” • Integrates state of the art understanding of the human visual system with a componentized and flexible infrastructure. • A color processing pipeline that supports high-dynamic-range, wide gamut color • Bidirectional driver communication means that color devices/drivers can self-configure • Well-designed default Color Policy rules ensure color out-of-box-experience (OOBE) • A transparent, modular, color processing pipeline allows for easy color troubleshooting • User defined policy settings provide fine-grained control of the entire color processing pipeline for demanding, expert users

  18. Benefits • For the vast majority, color that “just works” • Greatly improved OOBE • Solid baseline color processing pipeline ensures predictable, consistent color across all Windows applications and devices • Opportunity for third party innovation via plug-in Device Models, Gamut Mapping Models • Support for high precision processing of “high, wide, and deep” color • Enables Microsoft and third party vendors to introduce new innovative products and solutions that solve real world color workflow problems

  19. Features • New Device Profile Format • XML collection of objective intra-device measurements • Easy to edit, verify, understand and extend by third parties • New Visual Model • State of the art Color Appearance Model built into platform • Enables better handling of different viewing conditions • Beyond rendering intents – selectable gamutmapping models • Subjective inter-device transforms • Perceptually uniform • Baseline set of gamut mapping models built into WCS • Third party plug-in gamut mapping models for proprietary algorithms or improvements on baseline gamut mapping models

  20. FeaturesContinued • Beyond profile classes – Device Models • Baseline set for common devices built into WCS • Plug-in device models allow easy support for new device classes, third party enhanced models for baseline devices, or specialized models for high-end devices • End-to-end scRGB Pipeline Integrated and Exposed • scRGB Capture, Rendering and Output • Integration with color management services • Unequaled precision, dynamic range, and gamut volume • ICM2 and sRGB Support Continues and Improves • Seamless interoperability with ICC-based workflows • ICM2 Gets ICC Version 4.x Support • Addressing key recorded ICM2 bugs • Implement new functionality in current ICM2 APIs • Old applications work with new profiles • New profile format is processed by current ICM2 APIs

  21. Color Gamut Comparison Adobe RGB Camera RAW sRGB

  22. Solution By Innovation

  23. New Color Management Paradigm DMP Profile ICC Profile DMP Profile ICC Profile “Longhorn” ICC Device Measurements Device Measurements Output Device Modeler Input Device Modeler CAM Output CAM Input CAM Output Gamut Mapper Gamut Mapper Input Gamut Mapper CAM-1 Input CAM to PCS Output PCS to CAM CMM Transform Processor CAM = Color Appearance Model * PCS = Profile Connection Space Device RGB Device CMYK

  24. Pre-”Longhorn” Versus “Longhorn” WCS

  25. Windows Color SystemValue Proposition • Win32 applications will enjoy some benefits • A color managed workflow: color management “On” by default • Improved default choices for color management over XP via more granular default policies • Improved gamut mapping over ICC (when specified inColor Policies) • Benefits for “Longhorn” applications • All of the above • Support for higher precision, higher dynamic range and larger gamut color spaces • Use of CMYK and support for n-colorant systems ( > 4 colorants) • Improved OOBE with auto color configuration for devices with DCC/CI and NGPP drivers (using PrintTicket/PrintCapabilities)

  26. Color Market Satisfaction • Color Professionals and Prosumers Get • High precision “High, Wide, and Deep” color processing • No-compromise Camera-RAW processing • Consistent, reliable, seamless color interoperability • Richer, extensible gamut mapping repertoire • Easier device characterization • Color accountability • Knowledge Workers Get • Consistent color from all Windows applications • Automatic color device configuration • Consistent, accurate color from all devices on the LAN • Simplified device administration • Home Users Get • Color that just works, right out of the box.

  27. Call To Action • Give us feedback! • Your comments, criticism, opinions matter to us! – We want to get this right! • Tell us what we are missing to satisfy your needs • Come to our “Ask The Experts” session: Windows Color Architecture AW04031 • mailto:mscolor @ microsoft.com • Understand the Avalon presentation subsystem • Understand “Longhorn” Print Architecture • Identify strategic devices to exploit the NextGen Print Path • Identify extension scenarios • Investigate adoption of NextGen Print Path technologies • Dual Mode Driver • Avalon presentation subsystem • Investigate DDC/CI drivers for displays • Prepare to develop NGPP drivers and RIPs starting later this year • Try writing an Avalon-based application that prints and displays managed color! • Review Documentation • Plan to attend upcoming conferences for more details

  28. References • Email • Mscolor @ microsoft.com • Image Color Matching (ICM) documentation • http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/icm/icmstart_5i91.asp • Print Schema • SDK for Print Schema User Manual and Keywords • LDK for PT/PC interfaces: Reference\Printer Driver and Spooler Component Interfaces\Printer Driver Functions and Structures\Unidrv and Pscript Interfaces\Methods for Job Ticket Providers and Consumers • “Longhorn” SDK • http://longhorn.msdn.microsoft.com • Related Sessions • Windows Color Architecture – Part 2 • “Longhorn” Printing Architecture • “Longhorn” NextGen Print Path • “Longhorn” Printing: Processing the Payload • Web Services for Devices • Web Services for Printing and Imaging Devices Part 1 & 2 • Ask the Experts – Windows Color Architecture • Ask the Experts – “Longhorn” Printing • Ask the Experts – Web Services for Printing and Imaging Devices

  29. ReferencesContinued • Web Resources • MSDN Developer Community Chats: • Printer Drivers – Ask the Experts Online http://msdn.microsoft.com/chats/windows/windows_102402.asp • Windows Drivers: Printer Drivers http://msdn.microsoft.com/chats/windows/windows_101602.asp • Windows Drivers Printing and Networking http://msdn.microsoft.com/chats/windows/windows_022002.asp • WHDC: • Image Color Management (ICM) Driver Support • http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/tech/color/default.mspx • Printing - Architecture and Driver Support http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/print/default.mspx • Still Imaging / WIA Technologies http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/stillimage/default.mspx

More Related