Why does my design look dull when it gets printed?

Have you ever created something on your PC or laptop that looks brilliant on screen, but looks dull when you see the printed version?

Maybe the vibrant neon green that sparkled on your screen looks more like an ageing olive? Perhaps the electric blue that looked luminous on your monitor just doesn’t appear punchy on paper? Well, you’re not alone. Colour discrepancy is a common problem that can easily be avoided with a few simple pointers to bear in mind whenever you’re getting creative.

Firstly, it’s helpful to know why this colour muting happens. Every colour in the visual spectrum is made up from a handful of primary colours, but there are two distinctly different types of colour mixing;

1. Positive Colour Mixing

Computer, camera and phone screens produce all the colours of the spectrum from three root colours of light; red, green and blue (RGB). Mixing various degrees of these colour lights will produce different colours. The more colour light you add, the brighter things get, until they eventually create white. This is known as ‘positive’ mixing.

2. Subtractive Colour Mixing

Printers, on the other hand, use inks that when mixed together get darker and darker, eventually creating black. It’s the same principle as painting; the more colours of paint you add to your palette, the darker things get. This is called ‘subtractive’ mixing. The most common primary colours used in printing are cyan, magenta and yellow, together with black (CMYK). As you can imagine, it can be difficult for a set of inks on paper to faithfully reproduce what you have created on screen using light.

RGB is capable of displaying millions of vibrant shades. No wonder modern TV screens look so rich in colour! CMYK however, is limited to the physical ink pigments available, which is why bright digital neons can end up looking more muted when they get printed.

How do I know which colours will look different when they’re printed?

Most desktop publishing software has a viewing option, allowing you to view your work in ‘CMYK mode’. Even though you’re still seeing things in RGB on your screen, you’ll get a better indication of how your work will look when it gets printed.

Every electronic device with a screen will display colours differently according to its age, technology and settings. This is where an 'ICC Colour Profile' is helpful. This colour profile is a standardised language created by the International Colour Consortium that ensures consistent and accurate colour representation across different devices. It acts as a translator, aligning a device's specific colour capabilities with a universal colour space. An ICC profile corrects any discrepancies by mapping your device's unique colour behaviour to a standard space, guaranteeing predictable and repeatable colours whether you are creating artwork, editing a photo or sending a file to a professional printer.

Useful Tips:

1. If a design, such as a logo, is going to be used repeatedly in print and on

screen, such as on a website, it’s a good idea to create two versions; a print friendly CMYK version, and a web friendly version in RGB.

2. Before sending anything to print, always preview your artwork in CMYK mode first. It only takes a moment, and it could save you from any unwanted

surprises further down the line!

If you’re ever unsure about how your job will look when it gets printed, don’t worry.

TPM can offer hard copy proofs as part of the customer service, so you can always see the printed results for yourself, before approving the final run.