BabelColor FAQ
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answer in a popup window. Click on
the answer window or anywhere on
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question, to close the popup window.
7- (macOS Sierra) Why cant the program find its Help
manual, the sample files, the default CMYK profiles, or
the display calibration files for the i1Display Pro?
This question is applicable to PatchTool Version 5.0 or
OLDER (This question does not apply to PatchTool 5.1).
This can happen if PatchTool was downloaded AFTER the
installation of macOS Sierra AND if the Mac is not
configured to accept applications downloaded from
“Anywhere”. You will find more info on how to set the
proper permissions in the Mac OS Compatibility page.
6- Can I make an ICC printer profile using PatchTool?
No, PatchTool cannot generate an ICC profile. However,
PatchTool has tools to check printer profiles; please
consult Application Note AN-3a on printer proofing for
information on the Idealliance printer certification
procedure.
5- Can I use PatchTool to profile my monitor?
No, PatchTool cannot generate an ICC profile. The Display-
Check feature in PatchTool is dedicated, as its name says,
to check your monitor calibration. Since PatchTool is color
managed, it will use the default ICC display profile, or any
other user-assigned profile, to display calibrated colors.
Many calibration software offer a small utility, with basic
features, to validate the profile they generate. PatchTool's
Display-Check is a flexible tool designed to independently
validate monitor calibration, where you can define your
own color list, of any size, and have a complete overview
on how the measured data is processed. Please consult
Application Note AN-4a on monitor proofing for
information on the Idealliance monitor certification
procedure.
4- My i1Pro/i1Pro 2 is detected but I get an error
message when I calibrate. What is wrong?
Calibration failure more often occurs when calibrating in
reflectance mode. This can happen even if the instrument
is properly detected and identified in the 'Information info'
dialog. Here are potential causes to look for:
1.
The instrument is not properly seated on the
calibration tile. This may seem obvious but it is worth
checking!
2.
The calibration tile is dirty. Clean it gently with a soft
tissue lightly dabbed in isopropyl alcohol.
3.
You are using the wrong calibration tile for the
instrument. The i1Pro calibration tile is matched to
the instrument at the factory. You should be aware
that using a tile from another instrument will very
likely provide inaccurate measurements, even if you
do not get an error message!
4.
There is a bad or degraded contact between the
instrument and the USB cable or between the cable
and the computer USB port. If a connection is loose,
you can sometimes improve it by pushing, holding, or
reinserting the connector. Try another USB cable or
another USB port to see if you get better results. In
some extreme cases your computer USB port or your
instrument connector may need to be replaced.
5.
The overall USB cable resistance is too high. This can
be due to a poor quality cable, a damaged cable, a
cable which is too long, or a cable with dirty
connectors.
6.
The computer USB port cannot provide enough
current for calibration. This is more often a problem
with external USB hubs. Try a USB port which is not
used (i.e. connected and disconnected) often.
7.
If all of the above is non-conclusive, your instrument
may be due for a factory calibration or repair.
The i1Pro requires more power when calibrating in
reflectance mode because current must be supplied to its
lamp. If the overall cable plus connectors electrical
resistance is too high, this will lower the actual voltage
applied to the instrument light source and affect its
emission properties, resulting in a failed calibration. It
seems that this problem is more often seen in association
with the i1Pro 2 than with the original i1Pro.
3- My instrument is connected but I cannot make a
measurement. Can I fix this?
There are two things to check:
1.
Make sure you are not running, at the same time,
two programs which access the same instrument.
2.
PatchTool should be used with only one Eye-
One/i1Pro/i1Pro 2 connected at a time and only one
i1Pro 3 at a time. You can however connect one Eye-
One/i1Pro/i1Pro 2 in addition to one i1Pro 3 and one
i1Display Pro since these instruments use different
drivers. All Datacolor Spyder models can be
connected simultaneously except the Spyder4 and
Spyder5 which share the same driver; the Spyders
can also be connected in addition to X-Rite products.
If the above checks do not apply, you can also try to
disconnect and reconnect the instrument.
2- My i1 (Eye-One) is connected but not recognized by
PatchTool. What can I do?
You may receive a message to the effect that the i1 (Eye-
One) is not connected when you click on the "Info" button
of the Display-Check, Display-Reader, and Patch-Reader
1- What are the differences between PatchTool and
CT&A?
There are too many to list in a short answer! However, we
can globally answer this question by looking at typical
uses. If you are interested in comparing or converting a
color from an RGB space or a color catalog (i.e. a Color
Deck) to another RGB space or color catalog, then CT&A is
a good choice. As well, if you want to transform your i1Pro
or i1Pro 2 into a full-featured densitometer (see Density)
12- (macOS Sierra) Why do I get this fatal error on
program launch: “(EM-19) CT&A cannot open the
ColorDecks database…” ?
11- Are my CT&A Name and Key valid for both Mac
AND Windows versions?
For CT&A 5.x+, i.e. 5.x and and more recent versions, yes
(and only the Key is required). With CT&A 5.x+, the Product
Key can be used on either OS, one OS at a time. You will
find more information in the “Software activation” section
of this FAQ page.
For CT&A 4.x and older versions, no. CT&A 4.x and older
versions use different licensing systems for Mac and
Windows versions. A license purchased for the Mac OS
cannot be used with or transferred to a Windows OS, and
vice-versa.
10- Can I make an ICC profile using CT&A?
You can make matrix RGB profiles by specifying the
chromaticity coordinates of three primaries, the
chromaticity coordinates of an illuminant, and a gamma
function. This is done with the Custom RGB space dialog
of the RGB-vs-RGB tool. You cannot make RGB or CMYK
profiles from measurements.
9- My i1Pro/i1Pro 2 is detected but I get an error
message when I calibrate. What is wrong?
Calibration failure more often occurs when calibrating in
reflectance mode. This can happen even if the instrument
is properly detected and identified in the 'Information info'
dialog. Here are potential causes to look for:
1.
The instrument is not properly seated on the
calibration tile. This may seem obvious but it is worth
checking!
2.
The calibration tile is dirty. Clean it gently with a soft
tissue lightly dabbed in isopropyl alcohol.
3.
You are using the wrong calibration tile for the
instrument. The i1Pro calibration tile is matched to
the instrument at the factory. You should be aware
that using a tile from another instrument will very
likely provide inaccurate measurements, even if you
do not get an error message!
4.
There is a bad or degraded contact between the
instrument and the USB cable or between the cable
and the computer USB port. If a connection is loose,
you can sometimes improve it by pushing, holding, or
reinserting the connector. Try another USB cable or
another USB port to see if you get better results. In
some extreme cases your computer USB port or your
instrument connector may need to be replaced.
5.
The overall USB cable resistance is too high. This can
be due to a poor quality cable, a damaged cable, a
cable which is too long, or a cable with dirty
connectors.
6.
The computer USB port cannot provide enough
current for calibration. This is more often a problem
with external USB hubs. Try a USB port which is not
used (i.e. connected and disconnected) often.
7.
If all of the above is non-conclusive, your instrument
may be due for a factory calibration or repair.
The i1Pro requires more power when calibrating in
reflectance mode because current must be supplied to its
lamp. If the overall cable plus connectors electrical
resistance is too high, this will lower the actual voltage
applied to the instrument light source and affect its
emission properties, resulting in a failed calibration. It
seems that this problem is more often seen in association
with the i1Pro 2 than with the original i1Pro.
8- My instrument is connected but I cannot make a
measurement. Can I fix this?
There are two things to check:
1.
Make sure you are not running, at the same time,
two programs which access the same instrument.
2.
CT&A should be used with only one Eye-
One/i1Pro/i1Pro 2 connected at a time and only one
i1Pro 3 at a time. You can however connect one Eye-
One/i1Pro/i1Pro 2 in addition to one i1Pro 3 and one
i1Display Pro since these instruments use different
drivers. The Datacolor Spyder5 and SpyderX can be
connected simultaneously, and in addition to X-Rite
products.
If the above checks do not apply, you can also try to
disconnect and reconnect the instrument.
7- My i1 (Eye-One) is connected but not recognized by
CT&A. What can I do?
You may receive a message to the effect that the i1 (Eye-
One) is not connected when you select the
"Peripheral/Instrument info...” menu. Assuming that your
instrument is indeed connected, first check if the i1Profiler
program from X-Rite is opened, and, if opened, close it,
since CT&A cannot be used at the same time.
Early versions of i1Profiler provide a control panel named
“X-Rite Device Services”, which is used to assign/unassign
instruments to X-Rite software. On a Mac, the “X-Rite
Device Services” control panel is located in the System
Preferences dialog. The latest versions of i1Profiler still
include “X-Rite Device Services” but do not include a
control panel, and instrument assignment is performed
dynamically when opening an X-Rite program.
If using an early version of i1Profiler, you should DESELECT
the i1 (Eye-One) in the “X-Rite Device Services” control
panel; this will make the instrument available for CT&A.
Please note that changes in the X-Rite control panel can be
done while CT&A is opened. You should then be able to
connect the instrument by selecting the
"Peripheral/Instrument info...” menu once again. The early
versions of i1Profiler may also open one or more dialogs
asking if you want CT&A to take ownership of the i1
peripherals; please answer “Yes” to the question(s). “X-Rite
Device Services” is dedicated to X-Rite programs and is not
under CT&A's control; any problem related to its use
should be directed to X-Rite.
If the above fails, you can always try to disconnect and
reconnect the instrument.
6- Is there anything I should know before measuring
my display?
As a matter of fact, yes! Many CT&A users measure their
monitor or home cinema's color temperature, luminance,
and chromaticity using either the program's RGB vs RGB
or Graph tools, with the input data coming directly from
an one of the supported instruments. We have thus
prepared a tutorial on how to make and interpret these
measurements (Tutorial 10: Measuring color patches on a
display) which can be found in the program's Help manual,
a PDF which is available as a separate download.
5- Can I use my eXact / FD-7 / Spectrocam instrument
with CT&A?
Currently, no. Click on the tool name in the following list
to go to the specifications section dedicated to
instruments support: RGB vs RGB tool, Munsell tools,
spectral tools (CRI, Density, FluoCheck, Graph, ISO 3664+,
Metamerism Index, RAL Design, Whiteness). Instrument
support is based on user demand, the availability of
software interface tools from the instrument companies,
and how well the instrument features and functions
match with CT&A.
4- Is a calibrated monitor required?
No. Although strongly recommended, a calibrated
monitor is not required since a lot of the data provided by
the program is in numerical form. However, if your display
is calibrated with an ICC profile, CT&A will detect the
default display profile and show accurate colors since
CT&A is color managed; this capability is useful for the
patch layouts of the RGB vs RGB tool , for the Munsell
tools, and for all spectral tools where patches are shown
(Density, FluoCheck, Graph, Metamerism Index, RAL
Design). The display profile can also be user-assigned.
3- Do you use the same gamma for all spaces?
No. If a multi-parameter gamma is defined for a given
space, sRGB or eciRGB_v2 for example, the higher
accuracy multi-parameter definition is used by default.
However, the user has the option of using a single
parameter gamma if desired. The detailed parameters
and the single value gamma are displayed in the menu-
selectable Space data table.
Note: The L* (L-star) gamma of eciRGB_v2 has, by
definition, the same equations as the multi-parameter
gamma of sRGB and NTSC, but with different values for
each parameter.
2- What are the differences between PatchTool and
CT&A?
There are too many to list in a short answer! However, we
can globally answer this question by looking at typical
uses. If you are interested in comparing or converting a
color from an RGB space or a color catalog (i.e. a Color
Deck) to another RGB space or color catalog, then CT&A is
a good choice. As well, if you want to transform your i1Pro
or i1Pro 2 into a full-featured densitometer (see Density)
or a powerful spectral analysis tool (see Color Rendering
Index, FluoCheck, Graph, ISO 3664+, Metamerism Index,
RAL Design, Whiteness), the answer is again CT&A.
On the other hand, if you want to open, measure, edit and
join color lists (in CGATS, spreadsheet, CxF, Adobe Swatch
Exchange (ASE), or text formats), of any size, and view,
convert, average, or compare them, then PatchTool is the
solution. If you want to check your display performance
against a reference color list or measure a display without
constraints, and using many different instruments, then
again PatchTool is the answer.
These products complement each other; you could well
use CT&A to assess a light booth illumination uniformity
and light quality, then use PatchTool to average your
printer or press calibration targets and check their
accuracy relative to known reference values. Please
consult the programs' features (CT&A, PatchTool) and
their respective Help manuals for additional information.
1- Is the program name BabelColor, BabelColor CT&A
or CT&A? (Updated - 2020/07)
"BabelColor" is the name by which the program was
known when it was first offered, more than 17 years ago.
BabelColor is a registered trademark for color tools,
products and services and should not be used to describe
a single product. The program was later presented as
"BabelColor Color Translator & Analyzer" as well as in a
shorter form, "BabelColor CT&A". To further separate the
company name from the product, we now usually refer to
it simply as "CT&A".
7- What information is sent to the license activation
server?
For software licensing purposes, the program (CT&A or
PatchTool) generates a "fingerprint" to uniquely and
anonymously identify your computer. The "Product Key"
and the "fingerprint" are sent to an activation server which
sends back an activation certificate. No personal data is
used to generate the fingerprint. The activation server will
also record network related data from where the request
comes from.
6- I have a working Internet connection but activation
fails. What can I do?
You may need to unblock some specific communications
ports used by the program. Activation requires that ports
80 and 443 be open. Please consult your company’s
network specialist for help.
5- Is an Internet connection required to use CT&A or
PatchTool?
An Internet connection is not required once a Product
Key is activated on a computer. An Internet connection is
preferred to activate and deactivate a Product Key.
However, if because of Company rules the computer on
which CT&A or PatchTool is installed cannot be connected
to the Internet, activation and deactivation can also be
performed OFFLINE. Please note that a service fee is
required for offline activation. This fee covers the time to
manually process the request and set the activation
server; it can be paid from the BabelColor purchase page.
You should carefully read the activation and deactivation
procedures are presented on this page if you are
interested in, or if you must use, offline activation.
4- How can I transfer a software license between
computers?
This transfer requires deactivating a first computer and
activating a second computer. The activation and
deactivation procedures are presented on this page.
These procedures can also be found in Section 1.3 of the
CT&A Help manual and in Section 5.3 of the PatchTool
Help manual.
3- Can more than one license be assigned to a Product
Key?
Yes. If many licenses are assigned to a key, then you can
simultaneously activate many computers up to the
number of licenses. Many licenses are typically assigned to
a single Product Key when the same Product Key is used
by one Company. Please contact BabelColor for more
information and a quote.
2- Can I use my CT&A Product Key with PatchTool, and
vice-versa?
No, a Product Key can used to activate only the program
for which it was purchased.
1- Is my Version 5.x, 6.x or 7.x Product Key valid for
both Mac AND Windows versions?
Yes, a CT&A Version 5.x or 6.x Product Key or a PatchTool
Version 5.x to 7.x Product Key can be used for both Mac
and Windows. Separate install files are available for each
OS on the download page. Please note that the number of
simultaneously activated computers depends on how
many licenses are assigned to a Product Key. In most
cases a single license is assigned to a Product Key; this
means that only one computer can be activated at a
given moment. However, you can transfer a license by
deactivating a first computer and activating a second one;
the activation and deactivation procedures are presented
on this page.
8- (Mac) The application, an old version downloaded in
a .sit archive, does not launch. What is the problem?
This has been noted with archives saved in the "Stuffit"
format (*.sit), which was used only for the older CT&A
versions dedicated for the Mac Classic OS; the latest
software releases are compressed in the .zip archive
format, for which this is not an issue. The problem is very
likely caused by the Stuffit program on your Mac; more
specifically, the application may not be set with the proper
permissions after being un-stuffed. The problem happens
in particular on computers which have been upgraded
from OS 9 to OS X, or on which Stuffit 8.0 was installed
previously. Here is something from the Stuffit site:
"StuffIt Deluxe 8.0 caused a problem whereby
applications would not run if they were expanded from
archive formats that do not preserve UNIX file
permissions. In earlier versions of StuffIt Expander, this
problem did not occur because the UNIX "execute"
permission was set on all files as they were expanded.
StuffIt Deluxe 8.0.2 restores that feature. However, if you
are certain that you do not want the "execute"
permissions set, you can tell StuffIt Expander not to alter
UNIX file permissions when expanding non-UNIX
compatible file formats. This can be done in StuffIt
Expander preferences by un-checking the box that says
"Set execute permissions by default". "
You can try this to fix the problem (also from Stuffit
makers):
"Troubleshooting for all Mac OS X products: Disk Repair
and Permissions Repair
If you are experiencing problems with any of our
software that runs on Mac OS X (or any other Mac OS X
compatible software for that matter), please try the
following general fixes and maintenance:
Disk and Permissions issues:
It is possible there is a problem with your disk and/or
disk permissions. There are easy steps to attempt a
repair of such issues provided as part of your Operating
System. Boot up from your OS X CD and run the "Disk
Utility" program. Select the "First Aid" tab, select your
hard disk and click the "Repair Disk" button. Once it is
finished, if errors were found and repaired, run "Repair
Disk" again until it runs cleanly once without reporting
any errors.
Now boot up from your startup drive and launch the
"Disk Utility" program. Select the "First Aid" tab, select
you hard disk and click the "Repair Disk Permissions"
button. "Repair Disk Permissions" is an important step
and Apple recommends that it be run periodically. When
it is finished reboot from your startup drive."
You can also change the application permissions using the
Info window (ctrl + mouse click on the program icon, then
select "Get Info"). Here is what the settings should be:
o
Ownership & permissions: Read and Write
o
Details/Owner: Read & Write
o
Details/Group: Read only
o
Details/Others: Read only
And finally, you can change the permissions using the
"sudo chmod" Terminal command (the command is a
short form for "SuperUser ChangeMod"), and is used as
shown below for BabelColor CT&A (for PatchTool, replace
"BabelColor CT&A.app" by "PatchTool.app"):
$ sudo chmod 755 BabelColor CT&A.app
From "Mac OS X: the Missing Manual":
"The chmod command is a quick way to change access
privileges-including Execute permission, which isn't
available in the File Get Info window. The 755 business is
a long story, which you can read at any Terminal prompt
by typing man chmod and hitting Enter. In short,
however, this code is shorthand for "Change the
permissions so that everyone can read and execute (but
not make changes to) this file"-just what you want for a
CGI script. After hitting Enter, you're ready to proceed.
Now sudo asks for your administrator's password. Once
you've entered it, press Enter.."
7- (Mac) The Console shows that the hasplmd process is
crashing every 10 seconds. Can I stop it?
This problem has been seen in Mac Lion (OS X 10.7),
Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8), Mavericks (OS X 10.9), and
Yosemite (OS X 10.10). The hasplmd process is a license
manager program used with USB security keys, or
"dongles". The problem has nothing to do with BabelColor
software but may be due do to an older X-Rite software
component installed to support the i1Display Pro. We
have noted that the problem comes back whenever we
install a new version of i1Profiler. Please consult the Mac
OS X Compatibility page on this site for more information
on how to identify the problem and fix it.
6- (Mac) I updated the Mac OS and I am asked to install
Java SE 6 runtime. Is this OK?
Yes. This message may appear at reboot after updating
your Mac OS, when you start PatchTool's Display-Check or
Display-Reader, or when you select the DTP94 instrument
in these tools. Although PatchTool is not programmed
using Java code, it looks like the DTP94 library requires it.
Please consult the Mac OS Compatibility page on this site
for more information on the problem and how to fix it.
4- (Mac) Is your software compatible with PowerPC?
The most recent versions of CT&A and PatchTool for Mac
are not compatible with PowerPC computers and are
offered only in packages for Mac-Intel computers.
However, PowerPC packages may have been provided in a
previous version; please consult our download page for
availability.
3- (Windows on Mac) Can I use your Software for
Windows on a Mac?
This answer applies to CT&A and PatchTool Version 4.x or
less since, for Version 5.x of both programs, a Product Key
can be used on either OS.
Some customers successfully tested the Windows versions
of BabelColor Software on Macs configured for dual
Mac/Windows boot. However, since it is very difficult to
test all combinations of hardware and OS on the market,
including the various regional settings, there are certainly
issues that we are unaware of.
Please note that our Windows Software was not designed
for, nor tested with, Virtual PC and other Windows
emulators, since there are native Mac versions available.
We have received feedback from users to the effect that
CT&A for Windows does not launch properly on older
versions of Virtual PC; we do nonetheless appreciate
feedback on your experiments with our software on
emulators.
2- (Windows) The program does not behave properly
after installation. What can I do?
This answer applies to CT&A and PatchTool, Version 4.x or
less. If you have a problem starting the program or with
registration, please use the following procedure:
•
Disable any anti-virus program
•
Uninstall the program
•
Reboot the computer
•
Disable any anti-virus program
•
Check that the application folder you just uninstalled
is empty.
The default application folder path is:
"C:\Program Files\BabelColor\PatchTool\" or
"C:\Program Files\BabelColor\CT&A\"
or, if using a 64-bit OS:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\BabelColor\PatchTool\" or
"C:\Program Files (x86)\BabelColor\CT&A\"
Trash any files in this folder if required.
•
Install the program
•
Launch the program and enter your registration
Name and Key. Please consult Question-1 above if
you are asked to re-enter your registration info
1- (Windows) The program always asks to re-enter the
registration info. How can I fix this?
This answer applies to CT&A and PatchTool, Version 4.x or
less. In some circumstances, when being launched, the
program may show a message indicating that the copy is
not registered, even if you previously successfully entered
your registration Name and Key. When this happens, you
should launch the program as an administrator, and re-
enter the registration info (you can do a right-click on the
PatchTool or CT&A icon and select "Run as
administrator" from the popup menu). Once you have
entered the registration info in such a way, you should be
able to start the program normally thereafter.
Please contact us if the above suggestion does not work.
9- (Linux) Are there Linux versions of your Software?
No. Linux versions are not planned for the moment.
6- Will I be able to get free upgrades?
Yes. Your license is valid for all incremental upgrades (x.1,
x.2, etc.). Your exclusive permanent license code will not
need to be updated for these upgrades. However,
upgrades to a major revision, from 5.x to 6.x for example,
may require additional purchasing, although rebates for
owners of the previous version will be available for a
limited time after product launch.
2- Is BabelColor Software shareware?
Yes, as per one of the numerous interpretations of the
term!. You can give a copy to a friend or colleague as long
as you give the complete evaluation package. Of course, if
you purchase a BabelColor Software, you cannot give or
lend your license. Also, you cannot distribute or offer for
download the evaluation package unless you have a
written agreement with BabelColor.
1- Can I get evaluation copies of BabelColor Software?
Yes. There is no need to buy a license to download and
install our programs. Please note that, without a license,
the program will operate in demo mode, with limited
capabilities. However, this should enable you to do basic
measurements with many tools (CT&A), open all
compatible files (PatchTool), or have access to PatchTool’s
free tools (Custom Illuminants, Extract Data from Profile,
CT&A Export). If you want to access all the programs'
features, you need to purchase a license.