Canon global

Incidentally, and please forgive the basic question, but what role does Kyuanos fulfill in color management?

Yamada

Essentially, this is the technology performing color management between all devices from input to output. But Kyuanos doesn't just match colors. It matches colors with optimal image quality for each device. As such, it's a general technology, not a particular software application or something tangible.

Kumada

I would add that while it's a general technology on a conceptual level, on a more practical level, it's an upgraded color-matching system used in place of ICC profiles. Kyuanos will also be marketed as a feature of product.

I see. What sets Kyuanos apart from conventional color-management technology?

Kumada

Yamada just mentioned ColorSync on Macintosh computers. Previously, color management was focused on converting colors in images from digital cameras to data in a shared color space, called sRGB, for display or printing. Besides this, some conversion systems were offered using ICC profiles customized for the color characteristics of displays and printers. Specifically, conversion of image data from digital cameras using the ICC profiles of digital cameras, monitors, and printers enables display or printing in the same colors. But this approach is limited.

And that's where Kyuanos comes in, right? What's so special about this technology?

Yamada

For one thing, there's an extended color space. Previously, even if ICC profiles were specified, image data from digital cameras, which has a wide color gamut, was matched to the narrow gamut standard on displays, namely sRGB. Kyuanos offers an extended color space for maximum input and output performance.
Kyuanos has another feature on data processing. Using a conventional 8-bit/256 gradation format would inevitably have taken more space and been harder to handle, so we increased it to 16 or 32 bits for smoother processing. In doing so, we could preserve image quality and produce smooth gradation even in the wider gamut.

Comparison of color gamuts (in the Lab color space)

Printers can only produce a limited range of colors. So how is color matching possible between printers and digital cameras, which support a broader color space?

Yamada

Since printers do not have as wide a color gamut as digital cameras in some areas, it is necessary to handle the excluded color gamut the printer can not reproduce. This is called "mapping." We have developed mapping technology using an international standard method and furthermore investigated ways of enhancing the precision of mapping in Canon products through the use of modular technology.