HP PCL/PJL reference (PCL 5 Color) - Technical Reference Manual

EN Color Printing Overview 1-5
Note HP’s ICC profiles are available through normal HP software
distribution channels. For those who want the additional control
available through building their own ICC profiles, there are several
vendors of profiling tools available. To provide access to the printer's
pure primaries and entire available printer gamut, the Vivid mode may
be used when profiling the printer, and subsequently when using the
ICC workflow.
However, there are a broad range of users that do not require this
level of flexibility and control in an embedded color profile
mechanism. Instead it is possible to define a single, standard default
color space for exchange and interpretation of color data. Additionally,
most existing file formats do not support color profile embedding, and
may never do so. There is also a broad range of uses that actually
discourages people from appending any extra data to their files. The
sRGB color space addresses these issues.
The sRGB color space maintains the advantage of a clear
relationship with ICC color management systems while minimizing
software processes and support requirements. Since the image is in
a known color space and the profile for that color space is included
within the operating system and display application, this enables
end-users to enjoy the benefits of color management without the
overhead of larger files. Application developers and users who do not
want the overhead of embedding profiles in documents or images
should convert them to sRGB. While it may be that profiles buy
slightly higher color accuracy, the benefits of using a standard color
space far outweigh the drawbacks for a wide range of users. The
migration of devices to support the standard color space (sRGB)
natively will further enhance the speed and quality of the user
experience.
The international standard color space sRGB (IEC 61966-2-1) is
designed to complement current color management strategies by
enabling a simple, robust method of handling color in the operating
systems, device drivers and the Internet. This solution provides good
quality and backward compatibility with minimum transmission and
system overhead. Based on a calibrated colorimetric RGB color
space well suited to cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, flat panel
displays, television, scanners, digital cameras, and printing systems,
the sRGB color space can be supported with minimum cost to
software and hardware vendors. The four major technical
components of the sRGB color space are the standard CRT primaries
(HDTV P22 phosphors); the simple gamma value of 2.2, a D65 white
point, and its well-defined viewing conditions.