Download Adobe ICC profiles:
To install these profiles in windows simply unpack the download and you will find a CMYK and RGB folder. Inside these folders you will find the profiles. To install simply right click on the profile and choose Install.
RGB:
Red Green and Blue are the three colors used by projected light to mix colors on a screen. RGB colors are used by your computer monitor, your TV and are the standard format used by digital cameras.
CMYK:
Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black are the four base colors used by Offset Printers, Inkjet Printers and Laser Printers. The colors are printed in different patterns and densities typically on paper and your eye picks up reflected light and does the color mixing. It is a good idea to purchase a CMYK color chart, this way you can physically see the printed color that you are choosing in your computer program. Remember everything you are seeing on a computer monitor is projected in RGB. A color that looks good when you select it from looking at your monitor may print very differently when sent for Offset Printing.
The Adobe ICC profiles are used by all graphic design programs to set the colors correctly for Offset printing and establishing known RGB color space parameters. You will need to Install the profiles in order for Scribus to produce CMYK PDF files to the exacting PDF/X3 industry standard.
Things you need to know:
Firstly not all the colors that are projected in RGB color can be successfully converted to CMYK. Objects that look bright and luminous on a screen often look flat when printed to CMYK.
Ultimately all colors that are used in documents to be Offset printed must be converted to CMYK colors first. It is important to read the tutorial on the Do's and Dont's of Offset Printing which covers these issues in detail.
It is easier to perform color corrections in CMYK than RGB format when using a Digital Image editing program. This is because RGB has a push pull effect. For instance if you reduce the amount of Red in an Image it doesn't just remove the amount of Red it dynamically effects all the other colors. If you are in CMYK mode you can easily remove a percentage of any one of the four colors to perform accurate color corrections.
PANTONE COLORS:
The Pantone Color system is the most internationally accepted standard for producing Spot Colors. Spot Colors are used when printing a document in limited Color, for instance blue and black. Or when producing artwork Separations for Screen printing. You can read about this HERE. The Pantone chart is printed to exacting standards and Printers use the charts to match inks to specified formulas. It is a good idea to purchase a Pantone Color Chart, they are available from all good Art and Print supply shops. To learn more about the Pantone system and view their product range click HERE.
Because Pantone colors are designed to be printed as Spot Colors and have the ink specially mixed not all the Pantone colors can be reproduced using CMYK printing. For instance some of the colors are Gold or Metallic inks. Programs like Corel Draw or Illustrator will show CMYK conversions of Pantone spot colors and there are color conversion charts available on the web like this CMYK - Pantone - Hex.
These charts show RGB color swatches approximating Pantone colors and show equivalent CMYK formulas. I must stress however that this is only an approximation and you will still need to physically look at a printed Pantone chart to select the color in the first place. Therefore if there is one thing that I really stress you should dig into your pockets for that's the Pantone color chart. Be wary about purchasing second hand charts, the colors can fade with age and exposure to bright light. (eg. sunlight).
EMOTIONS and COLOR:
Understanding how to use color in documents is essential for a really good Graphic Artist. Because colors can affect us emotionally it is really important to match the colors you choose with the subject matter and intended audience of your documents.
There is a simple explanation of that principal HERE.
Think about your subject. For instance if you are designing a brochure for a Law Firm you would use somber but reassuring colors like dark maroon, or Gray Blues. You would avoid bright garish colors which instantly associate your client with a Clown or Children's fun palace. A lot of this you would think is common sense.........well you would be surprised how many people make this fundamental mistake when they begin their Graphic Design career. Selecting the correct colors is as important if not more important than all the other elements in a design.
There are lots of other good articles if you Google the subject on the web with varying views and ideas.There are also some great books available on color theory.