Appendix: Color Management in After Effects CS6

About color management

Without color management, the color you see at one stage of design and production may not match what you see at another. In other words, color is device-dependent: The color you see depends on the device producing it. A color management system is designed to reconcile the different color capabilities of the various components in your workflow—cameras, scanners, monitors, televisions—to ensure consistent color throughout the production process, and to help you see accurately the colors you specify in a project.

A color management system maps colors from the color gamut of one device, such as a digital camera, to a device with a different color gamut, such as a monitor. ICC color profiles, which describe the colors available to each device or color model, are used by a color management system (CMS) to map colors into device-independent gamuts, and then back to different devices.

In After Effects CS6, color management makes it possible for you to do the following:

• View accurate color and tone when using linear light (gamma 1.0) for compositing.

• Repurpose material for different output conditions.

• Work on projects using different computers.

• Manage footage from multiple sources.

• View color consistently in other applications.

• Simulate different output conditions without altering the color values in your project.

Using color management in After Effects CS6

To turn color management on, choose File > Project Settings, and then select a working-space color profile from the Working Space menu.

To assign a color profile to footage, select the footage item, and choose File > Interpret Footage > Main. Then click the Color Management tab, and select an ICC profile.

To color-manage a file you’re rendering, click the Color Management tab in the Output Module Settings dialog box, and choose the appropriate ICC color profile.

To simulate output, choose View > Simulate Output > [film or print stock].

For more information about color management in After Effects CS6, specific ICC color profiles, and specific color management workflows, see After Effects Help.