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Why Does My Project Look Different on Press Than on My Monitor?
It can be a challenge to translate color from screen to print, especially when you have fallen in love with how your project looks on your monitor. What is the best way to get it looking like that in print? The tricky part is . . . sometimes you can’t. The color on your monitor is always going to interact differently from the printed version. But by learning why, you can find ways to work around it.
To start off, let’s talk about color space. The two major color models are CMYK (subtractive color method), and RGB (additive color method).
CMYK is the color model used for print and paint. The acronym stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. (Why “K”? See “PrinterSpeak” in this newsletter.) When C, M, and Y are mixed, the result is a muddy color that is dark. K is introduced to create solid black. In order to make the hues lighter, less pigment needs to be used, so this is considered the “subtractive method.”
RGB is the color model used for displaying images electronically, such as on television screens and computer monitors. Red, Green, and Blue, when combined, create white, and adding more color makes the hues lighter, so this is considered the “additive method.”
The colors on your monitor will seem much brighter, “fruitier,” and saturated on screen, while the same colors in the printed version will tend to look more subdued. Monitors vary with color as well as printers, so do not always trust your eyes to match up color. It is best when working on a project to remember to use CMYK color space, and pay attention to the “color value” (the numbers that make up a hue; for example, C=75, M=5, Y=100, K=0 make a shade of green), as well as choosing colors from an official color matching system, such as the Pantone Matching System® (PMS).
When applying color theory to your design project, keep in mind what colors work best together. The important factor in a design is that it needs to be easy to read and clear where the eye should go next. Some color combinations work effectively and are easy on the eye, others can go as far as looking garish or causing eye fatigue. A good way to avoid this is to provide contrast — the relationship between the foreground (in this case, text) and the background. Be sure to pay attention to saturation — two fully saturated colors can often be too bright for the eye when reading. Also, keep colorblind readers in mind as well — would the design elements be lost if color were to be removed? Utilizing colors opposite each other on the color wheel is a great way to create contrast. These colors — reds and greens, yellows and violets, and blues and oranges — are considered complements.
How should you handle color for your project? Use of color will depend on your budget, but don’t feel limited — beautiful layouts can be achieved by using monochromatic (one color, same shade with varying hues) or complementary (two colors, opposite shades) combinations. (See “Press” article in this newsletter for further reference.) Quite often designs using limited color can be the most eye-catching and eliminate visual confusion. Play around with color and see what you come up with, and please feel free to ask for our help or advice!
For more information on color theory, here are two of many possible online sources to visit:
www.worqx.com/color
www.insidegraphics.com/articles
