Pittsburgh, Pa., February 19, 2002— "Misconceptions about color abound in this age of desktop color and so-called digital color presses, and the concept of quality is often reduced to trite definitions that have little practical value," according to Gary G. Field, a leading authority on color reproduction and printing quality. In his latest book published by the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF), Color Essentials, Field offers a collection of essays to help eliminate some common misconceptions and to promote greater understanding of color quality. "Color quality, to be sure, has always been a somewhat elusive concept, but it is more of a science and less of an art than most people recognize. Do print buyers, art directors, production personnel, sales representatives, managers, and others have sufficient understanding of ‘color quality’ when making judgments of printed color reproductions?" Field asks. "Although color quality judgment and analysis skills can be acquired through years of experience, it is so much more efficient if the principles discussed in this book are learned early in one’s career." In Color Essentials, Field explores the technical, practical, and perceptual facets of color quality through essays on topics such as color reproduction objectives, high-fidelity color, gray (color) balance, color saturation, high-resolution color, color image sharpness, and tone reproduction. By showing how today’s insights were derived from yesterday’s research, he provides a sound basis for understanding how to make informed color quality judgments. Because Color Essentials is a compilation of essays, Field is able to explain in detail different technical aspects of this complex subject in an informal and easy-to-follow style. Originally appearing in his "Color Concepts" column in the TAGA Newsletter for the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts from 1996–2001, the essays are scientific in nature, stressing principles but also offering new insights into how the subjects apply to everyday graphic arts color reproduction issues. Reference listings of supplemental technical and scientific publications suggest avenues for further in-depth study. The author of two other GATF books, including Color and Its Reproduction, and countless technical and scientific papers, Field is an imaging scientist and professor of graphic communication at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. He has lectured widely on color reproduction and printing quality in the United States, Britain, Australia, and Canada. Color Essentials: Color and Quality for the Graphic Arts and Sciences, Volume 1 (ISBN 0-88362-386-2) is a 112-page, two-color, softcover text available for $25 ($20 for GATF/PIA members), not including shipping. Orders may be placed by contacting GATF by phone at 800/662-3916 (U.S. and Canada) or 412/741-5733 (all other countries); fax at 412/741-0609; or online from the GAIN Bookstore. Mail orders to GATF Products, P.O. Box 1020, Sewickley, PA 15143-1020. Indicate Order No. 1735.