Color Management Resources

Color management resources (CMRs) are the foundation of color management in AFP print systems. They are AFP resources that provide all the color management information, such as ICC profiles and halftones, that an AFP system needs to process a print job and maintain consistent color from one device to another.

CMRs share some characteristics with other AFP resources, but are different in some important ways.

CMRs are similar to other AFP resources in these ways:

  • CMRs can be associated with elements of a print job at various levels of the hierarchy.

    Typical hierarchy rules apply, so CMRs specified at lower levels override those at the higher level. For example, a CMR set on a data object overrides a default CMR set on a print file.

  • CMRs can be included in a print job in an inline resource group and referenced in a form definition, page environment, object environment, or an include Object (IOB) structured field.
      Note:
    • CMRs can vary in size from several hundred bytes to several megabytes. If your print job uses relatively few CMRs, including them in the print file might not have an impact on the performance of your system. However, if your print job uses more than 10 CMRs, the size of the print job can increase so much that file transfer rates and network traffic are affected.
  • CMRs can be stored centrally in a resource library, so you do not need to include them in every print job.

    You can configure all your print servers so they can access the CMRs.

  • For the print server to find CMRs, the resource library must be listed in the AFP resource search path on the print server.

CMRs are different from other AFP resources in these ways:

  • You cannot copy CMRs into a resource library as you can other AFP resources.

    To store CMRs in a central resource library, you must install them by using an application such as RICOH AFP Resource Installer.

  • CMRs and data objects must be stored in resource libraries that have resource access tables (RATs).

    AFP Resource Installer creates the RAT when CMRs and data objects are installed. We recommend that CMRs and data objects be installed in separate resource libraries and that you store resources that do not require RATs (such as form definitions, page definitions, and overlays) in other resource libraries.

  • CMRs installed in a resource library can have names longer than 8 characters, and you can use the names in the print data stream.

    These names are created when you install the CMR by using AFP Resource Installer and are UTF-16BE encoded.

In this section:

  1. Types of CMRs
    Different situations call for different types of CMRs. Some CMRs are created by product manufacturers so you can download and use them, while others are created by your printer or other color management software. If you have the appropriate information, you can also create CMRs yourself.
  2. CMR Processing Modes
    CMR processing modes tell the print system how to apply a CMR to the print data it is associated with. You specify a CMR processing mode whenever you specify a CMR, although not all modes are valid for all CMR types.
  3. CMR Creation and Installation
    Device manufacturers and groups that support AFP color standards create CMRs that you can use in your color printing systems. You can also create CMRs yourself, based on your needs.
Parent topic: AFP Color Management