About This Document

This document describes ColorSync, the color management system from Apple Computer, Inc. that provides essential services for fast, consistent, and accurate color management. It also describes the ColorSync Manager, the application programming interface (API) to these services.

This Preface covers:

For additional information about this document, see What’s New.

What’s in This Document

This document introduces ColorSync and the concepts of color management, shows how to use ColorSync in applications and device drivers, and provides an overview of developing color management modules (CMMs). It describes features available through ColorSync version 2.5. Most existing code written to use version 2.0 or 2.1 of the ColorSync Manager should continue to work with version 2.5 without modification.

This document includes the following sections, as well as a glossary and index.

Conventions

This document uses the following conventions to help you locate information.

Version Notes

Functions and data types that are changed or not recommended in ColorSync version 2.5 generally contain a VERSION NOTES section that summarizes the changes or points to related information.

Special Fonts

All code listings, reserved words, and the names of actual data structures, constants, fields, parameters, and routines are shown in a monospaced font such as Letter Gothic (this is Letter Gothic).

Words that appear in boldface are key terms or concepts and are defined in the glossary.

Types of Notes

There are several types of notes used in this document.

Important Note on Code Listings

All code listings in this document are shown in C, except for listings that describe resources, which are shown in Rez-input format. Many listings are from the CSDemo application, which is available with the ColorSync 2.5 SDK. See Figures, Tables, and Listings for the locations of all code listings in this document.