Factors Affecting Color Accuracy
 by: Florie Lyn Masarate

Color is one of the most difficult parts of a design to show accurately to a customer. The reason behind this is because color perception is affected by many factors. Many people and printers are aware of this fact that is why they know how to closely monitor the factors to help get more accurate colors.

What are these factors?

Human Perception. The way a person sees color can vary, depending on the structure of a person’s eyes. This is particularly seen in the color blue. Color blindness is another factor. It can be very slight or quite severe.

Colors, when placed side by side, can make an impact on each other. This is better seen in reflection or visual illusion. Put into two colors alongside each other and you will notice that one or the other is taking in the color beside it.

Computer and Printing Technology. The average monitor has the tendency to show varying colors depending on how the computer is set up.

Inkjet and laser home printers also have effects on colors. Although they are of great convenience, they do not have the color range that professional printing machines do.

Web color and Printed color. Do not be surprised if the color appearing from your website is not the same when it is already in the printed materials. This is because of the color palette that websites use in their graphics.

There are now web-safe colors. Simply means that colors will look the same regardless of a viewer’s monitor type, provided that the brightness and contrast settings are set in the same levels.

There are millions of printable colors compared to only 216 web-safe colors. So web and print colors should not be treated the same way.

Professional printing technology. Colors also differ between printing processes that’s why some colors will not exactly match because of this factor.

Presses and digital printers also vary in color presentation. So trying to print colors in different machines and at different times means that they could and would appear different.

It is important to take note of the different factors that affects how colors appear in the monitor displays and when printed. If you want to get the exact same colors, strive to control as much color as you can by adjusting the different elements needed to get the desired result.

At least try to get as close as possible.

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About The Author

Florie Lyn Masarate got the flair for reading and writing when she got her first subscription of the school newsletter in kindergarten. She had her first article published on that same newsletter in the third grade.