2006.10.17 12:24 "Re: [Tiff] Tag 346", by Toby Thain

But since there are apparently *zero* raster file formats that can contain indexed CMYK images,

Photoshop supports indexed CMYK, IIRC.

I'd be surprised.

it's impractical to do any image manipulation on these bitmaps.

Not at all...You just need an imaging library that supports indexed CMYK and can read a "blob"...GraphicMagick, for example, springs to mind. You could also use Adobe's new open-source GIL. Or you could write your own.

I am considering writing a custom tool that converts them to RGB palette on the fly, and back again.

4->3->4 color conversion is a BAD IDEA!! As the numbers demonstrate, you will LOSE information (even with ICC-based color conversion).

Doesn't matter for the OP's purpose (as he explained).

--Toby

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