4 Cs of Color Management

Macbeth Colorchecker camera profiling target.

Neutral gray card before setting camera gray balance (white balance). Note yellowish cast.

Neutral gray card after setting camera gray balance (white balance). Note neutral appearance.

The 4 Cs model refers to a process for setting up and adjusting color reproduction equipment for the most accurate and consistent color, ensuring that each device performs at its best. The 4 Cs are depicted in a hierarchy where lower steps must be done first.

Cameras | Monitors | Proofers | Presses

Consistency

Set the camera to Manual Exposure Mode because Automatic will give different settings, therefore inconsistency, for each subject.
Make sure lighting is all the same color temperature.
Choose the camera's standard working space, if available (usually sRGB or AdobeRGB, Adobe is larger).
Set the camera to Manual Exposure mode and set aperture and shutter speed using a standard 15% gray card.

Calibration

Set the camera's gray balance to the lighting using a the 15% gray card, which is also colorimetrically neutral.

Characterization

Capture the camera profiling target (e.g., Macbeth ColorChecker)
Make a camera profile using a profiling program.
Select the camera profile in Photoshop (Edit > Assign Profile), in the Camera Raw plugin, or in other software.

Conversion

Select the camera profile in Photoshop (Edit > Assign Profile), in the Camera Raw plugin, or in other software.
Convert to Standard Working Space (sRGB or AdobeRGB).