Do you need color management?

Use the following guidelines to determine whether or not you need to use color management:

• You might not need color management if your production process is tightly controlled for one medium only, for example, if you're using a closed system where all devices are calibrated to the same specifications. You or your prepress service provider may prefer to tailor CMYK images and specify color values for a known, specific set of printing conditions.
• You also might not need color management if you are producing images for the Web or other screen-based output, since you cannot control the color management settings of monitors displaying your final output. It is helpful, however, to use the Web Graphics Defaults setting when preparing such images, because this setting reflects the average RGB space of many monitors. (See Using predefined color management settings.)
• You can benefit from color management if you have more variables in your production process (for example, if you're using an open system with multiple platforms and multiple devices from different manufacturers). Color management is recommended if you anticipate reusing color graphics for print and online media, if you manage multiple workstations, or if you plan to print to different domestic and international presses. If you decide to use color management, consult with your production partners--such as graphic artists and prepress service providers--to ensure that all aspects of your color management workflow integrate seamlessly with theirs.