Color management and proofing architecture

A method for generating a color transformation sequence comprised of transform steps, said color transformation sequence for transforming color image data, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a color profile list and a gamut mapping algorithm list, wherein the color profile list has at least one reference entry for containing a user-supplied color profile reference, and wherein the gamut-mapping algorithm list has at least one reference entry for containing a user-supplied gamut mapping algorithm reference, the color profile reference corresponding to a color profile containing a color transform, and the gamut mapping algorithm reference corresponding to a gamut mapping algorithm which is accessed from a color profile or from an external source separate from the color profile;
• creating a transform step comprised of a profile step in the case that a first reference entry of the color profile list contains a color profile reference;
• creating a transform step comprised of a gamut mapping step for each reference entry of the gamut mapping algorithm list that contains a gamut mapping algorithm reference;
• creating a transform step comprised of a profile step for each color profile reference that corresponds to an abstract color profile and that is present in interim reference entries between the first and last entries of the color profile list;
• creating a transform step comprised of a profile step in the case that the last reference entry of the color profile list contains a color profile reference that corresponds to a device color profile;
• and
• including the created transform steps in the color transformation sequence.

A method for transforming color image data by applying a color transformation sequence comprised of transform steps to the color image data, said method comprising the steps of:

• accessing the color transformation sequence;
• accessing the color image data;
• and
• sequentially processing each transform step of the color transformation sequence to transform the color image data,
• wherein, in the case that the transform step being processed is a profile step, a color transformation module is accessed from a corresponding user-supplied color profile and is applied to the color image data, and
• wherein, in the case that the transform step being processed is a gamut mapping step, a corresponding gamut mapping algorithm is accessed from a user-supplied color profile or from an external source separate from the color profile and is applied to the color image data.

A method for transforming color image data by applying a color transformation sequence comprised of transform steps to the color image data, said method comprising the steps of:

• accessing the color transformation sequence;
• accessing the color image data;
• and
• sequentially processing each transform step of the color transformation sequence to transform the color image data,
• wherein, in the case that the transform step being processed is a profile step, a color transformation module is accessed from a corresponding user-supplied color profile and is applied to the color image data, and
• wherein, in the case that the transform step being processed is a gamut mapping step, a corresponding gamut mapping algorithm is accessed from a color management module in a user-supplied color profile or in an external source separate from the color profile, and an input gamut boundary description and an output gamut boundary description are accessed and utilized by the gamut mapping algorithm for gamut mapping the color image data.