The purpose of Color Settings is to set a policy of rules for color management. They can be overridden during profile mismatches when opening images or at any given point during the imaging session using the menu item Assign Profiles. The policy guides what happens to an image that has an embedded profile that does not match the current working space. Embedded profiles are most often Working Spaces from previous Photoshop sessions such as AdobeRGB, ColorMatchRGB or sRGB.

Color Management Policies can be set to Preserve, Convert or Off. You can however, decide to manage differently when you open an image by checking the Profile Mismatches. This will cause a dialogue window to pop up when you open an image, giving you several options. We recommend that you use the Convert option with the Profile Mismatches checked. Converting an image into the current Working Space will preserve the color values from the last session in which the image was viewed.

Choosing a Working Space is less critical in Photoshop 6 because the SoftProof feature allows full preprint previewing of both the Printing Space and the Working Space. This allows you to experiment by switching between different Working Spaces.

If you do convert an image, the actual pixel values will be changed. There are pros and cons of conversion. However, there is another option which requires forethought and is much more effective in getting the most out of an image's color management. By turning Color Management Off, you allow the image to adapt to a Preview which can be modified by selecting another Working Space. If you allow an image to retain its embedded profile or be converted to the current Working Space, you will not be allowed to toggle between different Working Spaces in Color Settings.

However, this type of control is offered by the Assign Profile menu item at any given point during the imaging session. So Photoshop 6, while adding newer options and menu items, has really simplified the use of color management through redundancy (we think of it as absolute control). What to do upon opening an image is covered in the next tutorial session: 2 - Open Images Dialogue