Colour Accuracy in Printing – Straight forward, right?

No… far from it, we often get asked about matching print colours to previous marketing material and try to always make our customers aware of the likely issues and limitations of various print processes.

Now, we as designers and print suppliers would love it if we could select ‘Pantone 123’ and it would print identically on a clients brochures, pens, business cards and bags, but that’s just not going to happen, there will always be differences when the items are placed next to each other – and though you may have never noticed, this even happens to major worldwide brands.

First of all, proof colours viewed on a computer screen or checked on (god forbid) a phone, are never ever going to look the same as when printed – it’s just impossible for that to happen as viewing RGB colours on a bright back-lit screen is a million miles away from a “machine” laying down 4 colour inks onto a sheet of paper or card.

Proof colours printed out on your (or our) office printers are never going to be accurate and will vary between makes, models and types of office printers and even the ink cartridges you are using.

• Different shades of white paper will affect printed colours.
• Different paper types such as gloss, silk, uncoated will affect printed colours.
• Different methods of printing such as litho, digital, screen will affect the printed colours.
• Printing on a different print press or even on a different day will affect the printed colours.

All of the above are unfortunately unavoidable and is something that happens across the print industry and is a limitation of the various print processes.

It’s not something to get too “worked up” about as it’s also happening to all your competitors and most customers will never notice there may be a slight change of colour across your marketing.

Using the same type of paper and the same method of print across your marketing is about the best you can do to minimise colour variations but it may be too much of a limiting factor as certain papers, and print methods are better for some items than others.

If you need any advice on Colour Accuracy in Printing feel free to contact us.