1. First I downloading an image from the test images posted on the Imaging Resource
taken with a Nikon Dx2 (4.8Mb).
2. Then because I was not sure of the colour accuracy of the Macbeth Color patches in this image I downloaded the Macbeth Color Checker (ProPhoto RGB) from
Colour Remedies. This file is in ProPhoto colour space and has the RGB values of each patch on it IN THIS COLOUR SPACE
ProPhoto is a very wide gamut colour space. Adobe RGB is also wide gamut but not as wide as ProPhoto and the sRGB is narrower again. As I always work in Adobe RGB colour space because I’ve been lead to believe that inkjet printers can not take advantage of the ProPhoto colour space but it is a benefit over sRGB. If you are preparing work that is only going to be viewed on a colour monitor, eg for web use, then sRGB is fine
3. I converted the Color Checker to Adobe RGB colour and then sampled and re-encoded the patches with the RGB values in Adobe RGB.
4. I then resized and superimposed this onto the DX2 image I had downloaded.
5. Apply a little smartsharpening and I have my test target ready for printing.
Now you might say (with some justification) that all that messing about with the colours is a waste of time because my printer won’t reproduce the colours accurately anyway. To some extent that’s true although I have had my printer profiled for each paper I use so it should be pretty close. However I did it more for my own benefit to understand the differences between the different colour spaces.
If you don’t want to go to the trouble of creating you own target you can download mine by
clicking here. NB this is in Adobe RGB colour space so the colours will look a bit flat in a not colour managed environment – ie when you open it in your web browser, but when you open it in Photoshop it will look right (the Macbeth Color Checker is fairly low in contrast anyway)