Chapter 23. ColorSync Extension

The scriptable ColorSync extension is used to synchronize the color inputs and outputs of monitors, scanners, printers, and other devices to help ensure that the graphics the devices produce have consistent color. ColorSync uses embedded International Color Consortium (ICC) profiles in images. The profiles contain information about the color capabilities of the device that produced the image. For example, if you save an image as a jpeg with an embedded ICC profile, then ColorSync compares this profile with the printer's color profile in order to reproduce the image's colors in the printed document as well as it can. An Apple Computer ColorSync site is http://www.apple.com/colorsync.

In AppleScript, you can create droplets that manage the embedded profiles of the images that you drag onto the droplet.

A droplet is a type of script file that will process the files whose icons you drag onto the droplet's icon. See Chapter 2, for details.

Only certain image-file types, such as JPEG, PICT, and TIFF, can have embedded ICC profiles. The directory startup disk:AppleScript Extras:ColorSync Extras:AppleScript Files contains a number of ColorSync droplets you can use with these files. Dozens of ICC profile files are located in startup disk:System Folder: ColorSync Profiles.

If you try to extract a profile from an image type that does not support embedded profiles (TIFF, JPEG, and PICT dosupport ICC profiles), then ColorSync Extension will not return any value from the script command. In general, check the image's file type before you open it with ColorSync Extension (e.g., a jpeg image's file type is JPEG).