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HP technology aims to capture true 'Shrek' green

Color calibration technology that HP developed for DreamWorks to be integrated into digital-imaging software and hardware.

Candace Lombardi
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.
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Candace Lombardi
2 min read
Hewlett-Packard and DreamWorks Animation unveiled new technology on Thursday that will help professional photographers and designers print the exact colors they see on their monitor.

HP DreamColor, as the technology is called, will be integrated from creation through printing. It will also enable designers to print accurate color proofs of what they can expect to see in a final product for large-scale commercial projects.

The product was born out of HP's ongoing collaboration with DreamWorks to develop color calibration technology for, among other things, Shrek, according to HP. The animated film series (Shrek the Third is set for release May 18) is known for its especially vibrant color palette. DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is expected to join HP at its keynote address to the Photo Marketing Association on Thursday.

Initially, the new color sync technology will be available in the HP Designjet Z2100 (8-ink) and Z3100 (12-ink) photo printers, which will both feature built-in spectrophotometers.

It will also be available in the form of an HP plug-in for Adobe Photoshop 7.0, CS and CS2 applications for printing directly from the photo-editing application to the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 pigment ink photo printer.

HP's Indigo 5000 and ws4500 presses will also be integrated with the software, which HP says will produce color prints better than or equal to the color quality of commercial offset printers. HP IndiChrome software will allow accurate viewing and production of Pantone colors, according to HP.

Color management for digital imaging has been an issue for professionals and amateurs. Several products already available in the market range in price from the thousands, such as the high-end GretagMacbeth ProfileMaker Photostudio Pro Eye-One Bundle, to lower-end amateur helpers in the $100 range such as the Pantone HueyPro.

The release of HP DreamColor technology into HP's digital-imaging products will initially be at the professional level. But according to an HP statement, it will eventually carry over into the consumer market, including monitors.