Two Kinds of Color


CMYK vs. RGB

The color image from your printer doesn't match that on your monitor.

Color that you see on a monitor or television screen is called additive color and has a different set of properties from subtractive color, which is the kind of color that applies to your printout. Additive color emanates directly from a light source. Subtractive color comes from light which is relfected off of an object from a light source. Because additive color comes to our eyes directly (unless it is filtered), it is purer color and is able to represent a broader range of the spectrum than subtractive color. For this reason, even under the best circumstances, additive and subtractive color never match exactly. Compare additive and subractive models.

If the difference between the color on your monitor and your printout are huge,
  • Your monitor and printer are not properly calibrated.

  • Your printer may not be properly configured for the paper and resolution.
    ex. Using a porous paper with high ink output will tend to absorb into the paper making the colors, dark and/or muddy.

- tsc

monitor color :
why it's more different than you think

environmental factors :
how other factors influence the way you see color

RGB vs. CMYK:
why the color your printer produces often doesn't match the color on your monitor