Patrick Shaw’s Weblog

You loved that brochure from the local copy shop - and the one page item that you printed on your local color printer looked great. But your web expert just delivered your new website - and the colors don’t match - what gives?

Well - a lot. Your monitor, for example, is likely different than the one the designer used, which is different than the one that the developer used, which is different than the one that the printer uses, which is different than the one . . . You get the idea. You just can’t depend on a monitor to be the arbiter of color - you have to look somewhere else!

There are three different tools that web and print experts use to define colors, to help smooth out this “what color is my website” process:

• PMS is Pantone Matching System, which is specific ink formulas for printing. These are going to be VERY consistent -but only on traditional printing only.
• RGB are values that are for computer monitors - it’s how the picture tube breaks down color. So you can’t use an RGB color and print it and have it match a monitor - a monitor is lit from behind so colors will always appear a bit more vibrant.
• CMYK is a forum color process breakdown for printing - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (which we commonly understand as black.) If you use photographs - you need to print using CYMK - this process essentially breaks down your picture into these four colors - and they will vary a bit from a PMS color - they’ll be a bit more muted than both PMS and RGB.

You can work with either your designer or coding expert to figure out the best way to describe the color that you like. Many software programs will “convert” one type of color scheme to the other - so you can get a little closer on our own.

In the end, though - you need to rely on your eye, on trusting your web or print expert - and remember that a different monitor and a different printer WILL produce different results!