Color is at the heart of modern printing, yet many of the systems used to measure and control it remain poorly explained. Color Theory for Printing provides a clear and practical introduction to the science behind color measurement and communication.

This book builds color understanding step by step, beginning with light and human vision and moving through the tools used every day in print production. It explains how spectral reflectance, viewing conditions, illuminants, measurement geometry, and color spaces work together to describe color in measurable terms.

Rather than presenting formulas without context, the book focuses on how color data is created, what the numbers actually represent, and how they should be interpreted on press. The result is a practical framework for understanding color measurements and making more informed production decisions

What you will learn:

  • How light, materials, and human vision combine to produce color

  • Why viewing conditions and illuminants matter

  • How spectrophotometers measure color

  • What L*a*b* and L*C*h° values really describe

  • How color difference metrics such as ΔE are used in print production

Over the years, I've spent countless hours discussing color with printers, designers, brand owners, students, and customers. I've learned that color science is often much easier to understand when it is presented as a conversation rather than a lecture. With that in mind, I'd like to introduce the Maxwell & Iris Podcast, a companion to my book, Color Theory for Printing.

Maxwell and Iris are two virtual hosts who explore many of the concepts covered in the book. Through conversation, they explore topics such as:

• Why colors change under different lighting conditions
• How human vision creates the sensation of color
• What causes metamerism
• Why color standards matter
• How spectrophotometers measure color
• What L*a*b*, L*C*h°, and ΔE actually mean

The Maxwell & Iris Podcast

In developing this podcast, I wanted to explore a different way of teaching color science. Rather than a traditional lecture, Maxwell and Iris guide listeners through the concepts as a conversation.

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