One of the challenges of graphic design is to ensure that the colours you see on your screen are accurately reproduced when you print them. This is because screens and printers use different colour models to display colours. Screens use the RGB (red, green, blue) model, which is an additive model that combines different amounts of light to create colours. Printers use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) model, which is a subtractive model that filters out different wavelengths of light to create colours.
To convert colours from screen to printing, you need to use a colour management system that can translate colours from one model to another. A colour management system consists of three components: a colour profile, a colour space and a rendering intent. A colour profile is a set of data that describes how a device reproduces colours. A colour space is a range of colours that can be represented by a colour model. A rendering intent is a method of adjusting colours when they are converted from one colour space to another.
The most common colour profile for screens is sRGB, which stands for standard RGB. It is a relatively small colour space that covers about 72% of the colours that can be perceived by the human eye. The most common colour profile for printers is CMYK, which stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. It is a larger colour space than sRGB, but it still cannot reproduce all the colours that can be seen on a screen.
To convert colours from screen to printing, you need to use a software that can apply a colour profile to your image and convert it from sRGB to CMYK. You also need to choose a rendering intent that best suits your purpose. There are four main types of rendering intents: perceptual, relative colorimetric, saturation and absolute colorimetric. Perceptual rendering intent preserves the overall appearance of colours, but it may shift some colours to fit them into the destination colour space. Relative colorimetric rendering intent preserves the accuracy of colours, but it may clip some colours that are out of gamut (i.e., cannot be reproduced by the destination device). Saturation rendering intent preserves the vividness of colours, but it may alter their hue and lightness. Absolute colorimetric rendering intent preserves the exact values of colours, but it may cause some colours to look dull or dark.
The choice of rendering intent depends on the type of image you are working with and the effect you want to achieve. For example, if you are printing a photo with subtle shades and gradients, you may want to use perceptual rendering intent to preserve the overall impression of the image. If you are printing a logo or a graphic with solid colours, you may want to use relative colorimetric rendering intent to maintain the accuracy of the colours. If you are printing a poster or a flyer with bright and saturated colours, you may want to use saturation rendering intent to enhance the impact of the image. If you are printing a proof or a sample that needs to match exactly what you see on your screen, you may want to use absolute colorimetric rendering intent to avoid any colour shifts.
Colour conversion from screen to printing is not an exact science, but it can be done with some knowledge and practice. By using a colour management system and choosing the right rendering intent, you can ensure that your printed output matches your screen output as closely as possible.
Comments