Product Reviews

This useful kit from Kodak serves equally as an intro to colour matching and as a useful toolbox for professionals who want to verify that their colour management is working correctly.

The pack contains seven digital test files together with corresponding photographic prints created on a correctly profiled printer. Printing the supplied files with your favourite image-editing software allows you to compare your output to the reference prints. The closer your prints are to the samples, the closer your current

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setup is to the correct colour balance.

Big colour differences mean that the images you print aren't coming out as intended. And by viewing test files onscreen you can see how closely your monitor matches your prints.

It's important to view the reference prints in daylight, so Kodak has included an RHEM strip, a coloured sticker with a pattern that is invisible in true daylight. Also included are colour profiles for common photographic printers and scanners, but these are for professional rather than domestic models.

Documentation is provided as a PDF on the CD. It's a shame there are no instructions on the packaging and there's no auto-run menu, so you're left to find the manual yourself. It's worth finding, though, as there's a wealth of helpful information.

Although this product is great for showing up problems, it won't fix them. You'll need to set up some colour management, perhaps using a product such as Spyder2PRO Studio (see page 35).

If you just want to make sure everything is set up correctly, the Kodak Color Management Check-Up Kit is a useful purchase.