[cairo] Subtractive API, part 0

[ecir hana]

On Sat, Jan 30, 2010 at 12:32 PM, Kai-Uwe Behrmann <ku.b at gmx.de> wrote:

> How was the graphics industry able to switch nearly completely to colour
> managed workflows including the two major operating systems?
> Its hard to follow with a "sRGB or chaos" argumentation.

I don't know.

But I have my guesses. First, I think it is useful to split your
question into two: additive and subtractive spaces. If you produce a
milion of cameras with the same lens I would guess it is somehow
possible to calibrate them. I also read, that some people are able to
see that one lens has slightly different color cast that the other
one. Anyway, I would guess that in the former space you have fairly
good amount of control over the whole devices. Contrary to printers.
The final result is formed by many pieces, like paper, coating, diyes,
opacity, drying rate, printing speed, ... These many aspects are
combined to just one color, which is why it is so difficult to get it
under control. I would call the current situation far for "nearly
completely" solved.

Also, I think it is very important to notice that while on a monitor
you are able to display and measure a color and to tweek the ICC
several times, in print you usually get only one shot because to print
twice is two time more expensive.

As I said, this is pure speculation on my side I'm looking forward to
the explanations by others.