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Nina_Storm
Known Participant
November 20, 2012
Answered

Importance of embedding ICC profiles

  • November 20, 2012
  • 3 replies
  • 53412 views

I have created a package of logos in different versions. 30 versions in all. However each logo weights around 1.2 mb. It contains nothing but a few vectors and colors, no blends no images.

If I save as unchecking "Embed ICC profile" the weights falls to around 188 k

Is it a bad idea unchecking the ICC profile?

I suppose it has no effect If I export pdf’s using the "Convert to destination (Preseve Numbers)" setting? - As long as it only contains vectors?

 

BR

Nina Storm

      This topic has been closed for replies.
      Correct answer rob day

      How important is color appearance to you? If you don't include profiles it will be impossible to color manage the color appearance on different devices.

      A simple example would be if you are spec'ing CMYK colors and your document CMYK profile is US SWOP and you send the file to me without a profile, the color will shift if my application's CMYK working space is something other than US SWOP. So if I place your PDF logo in my document that has US Sheetfed assigned the logo colors will likely appear darker because US Sheetfed allows for more dot gain than US SWOP.

      There are some cases where you can argue for not including a profile—say you value saturation over  appearance. You might want a logo with 100% cyan, or 50% yellow objects to never be converted—you simply want to print the brightest cyan possible whether it's on newsprint or gloss coat. In that case not including profiles make output conversions less likely, but it doesn't stop someone from forcing one down stream.

      3 replies

      F
      FARAZ2997496178nw
      Participant
      May 20, 2023

      why embed icc profiles option hide in illustrator

      I
      iqra299751919ii6
      Participant
      May 20, 2023

      As a way of transferring files that are too large to send via email, I use YouSendIt. It is not uncommon for people to pay for their services that include a Dropbox account for others to use to send them things, as well as a few other bells and whistles, but they also offer a free basic service that allows you to upload a single file, up to 50 MB at a time, which can be sufficient if you compress your ID packages before sending, so it is probably sufficient to upload them.

      Peter Spier
      Community Expert
      Peter SpierCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 20, 2012

      Nor is there a reason to include a profile if the logo is spot colors.

      I've taken to not embedding profiles in most logo work, but if it uses process colors I do include the colorspace as part of the file name and make new versions if required for other spaces. It has proved to be less of a problem this way than having the profiles embedded for things like solid black and one spot logos that were created in SWOP and convert to a four-color black and spot when they wind up in a sheet-fed profiled document.

      It helps, of course, that I control the entire process. When things go to other designers it gets trickier.

      N
      Nina_StormAuthor
      Known Participant
      November 20, 2012

      Thank you Rob and Peter

      I’ll have no control down the line as it will be distributed to other designers.

      I am embarresed to admit that I thought logos would keep colors "by numbers" if only plain colors are used.

      I see now that keeping colors by numbers requires "no embeddes profiles". Otherwise the colors will be colormanged (change), as Rob describes, if opened in another color space.

      Thank you (though I am still in doubt what to do).

      :-)

      Peter Spier
      Community Expert
      Peter SpierCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      November 20, 2012

      If you want the numbers preserved, even at the expense of a color shift on output, don't embed the profiles. If the logos use mixed process colors and will generate 4 plates anyway, then I would leave the profiles embedded in hopes the other user gets the management right and the appearance of the color is maintained.

      rob day
      Community Expert
      rob dayCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      November 20, 2012

      How important is color appearance to you? If you don't include profiles it will be impossible to color manage the color appearance on different devices.

      A simple example would be if you are spec'ing CMYK colors and your document CMYK profile is US SWOP and you send the file to me without a profile, the color will shift if my application's CMYK working space is something other than US SWOP. So if I place your PDF logo in my document that has US Sheetfed assigned the logo colors will likely appear darker because US Sheetfed allows for more dot gain than US SWOP.

      There are some cases where you can argue for not including a profile—say you value saturation over  appearance. You might want a logo with 100% cyan, or 50% yellow objects to never be converted—you simply want to print the brightest cyan possible whether it's on newsprint or gloss coat. In that case not including profiles make output conversions less likely, but it doesn't stop someone from forcing one down stream.

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