Appendix C
Using ColorSync
Mac OS computers use ColorSync to help make sure that the colors you see on your monitor closely match the colors you get on your printers, scanners, and other devices. Because ColorSync works behind the scenes, you don’t have to know anything about it. All you need to do is initially set it up. This appendix describes how ColorSync works and how to configure your monitor and computer to take advantage of it.
The problem that ColorSync solves
Providing consistent color with desktop computers is a technical challenge because different color devices use different methods for representing color, and they produce different ranges of colors. For example, the colored light on your monitor is very different from the colored inks your printer uses.
Different color devices also create color using different methods. Monitors (and most scanners) produce colors by mixing red, green, and blue light— called RGB color. Most printers produce colors by mixing cyan (a shade of blue), magenta (a bright pink), yellow, and black ink. This color system is called CMYK. Since monitors, printers, and scanners each have different color capabilities, they cannot reproduce each other’s colors exactly.
Further compounding the problem is that no two monitors or printers produce exactly the same colors. (For example, you can see differences in color ability among monitors in the TV department of a consumer electronics store.)
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