Colour
Accuracy
Artwork files viewed on your computer
monitor do not represent true colour. Due to this you can not use
your electronic proofs for judging colour accuracy as there is no
warranty for colour. Only hard-copy printed proofs provide colour
warranty.
Concerns About Colour
Accuracy
Your order will go to print based on the CMYK colour values as
supplied in your artwork's imagery and it will be printed on a
colour calibrated machine.
If colour correctness is a concern we recommend you request
hard-copy printed proofs for final approval and warranty of
layout and colour.
If the colouration of your hard-copy printed proofs is not to your
satisfaction there may be nothing we can do about it from the
standpoint of printing. In many instances the only way to alter
colouration will be for you to revise your artwork and resubmit it
to us. In this event, re-proofing charges will apply.
Different Colour Modes: RGB and
CMYK
Computer monitors display imagery in the
RGB colour mode (red, green, blue) yet commercial print is produced
using the CMYK colour mode (cyan, magenta, yellow, black).
Because RGB has a larger ‘gamut’ (ie: range) of colours than CMYK
it’s possible to design using RGB colours that are outside the range
of what CMYK can reproduce. When converting an RGB design to CMYK,
any RGB colours that are outside of the CMYK gamut will be
automatically converted within the CMYK gamut and the colours may be
affected to some extent.
What can you do? Always set your design page properties to
CMYK before you begin designing your CD duplication design, and then
only work within the CMYK colour gamut range.
What
You See On Your Computer Monitor
Have you ever gone into an
electronics store where they have a row of televisions on display
all lined up side-by-side, and all displaying the same channel? Even
though they are all displaying the same channel, did you notice that
the colouration of each television’s display was slightly different…
or even a lot different?
The same holds true for computer monitors – most computer monitors
don’t display true colour. The result of that means (a) the
colouration of your finished print may look different than what you
view on your computer monitor, and (b) the colour of your CD
duplication design may look different when viewed on different
monitors.
What can you do? To improve the colour accuracy of your
computer monitor you can have it colour calibrated (“calibration”
means having the monitor’s display optimized for colour accuracy).
Mechanical calibration using a sensor is a popular way of
calibrating a monitor, but, while calibration can ‘improve’ your
colour display you cannot rely on it to be completely accurate. You
should be able to buy a mechanical calibration kit from an
electronic store that carries a good range of software titles.
Rich and Vibrant Colour
All of the colours you view on your
computer monitor are created through the generation of light, thus
you’re able to achieve very vibrant and rich colours in your
designs. When it comes time to print those colours, the application
of ink onto paper (or plastic, in the case of the CD or DVD disc) is
not going to be able to produce the same vibrancy and richness of
colour that your monitor was able to display. The result is
typically a flatter or duller appearance on the finished print than
what you viewed on your monitor.
What can you do? If you have any concerns about colouration
of the final print, hard-copy printed proofs are recommended. It is
important that the hard-copy proofs come from the same company that
will be producing your finished CD duplication product because
different printing equipment, calibration, inks and substrates can
produce different results.
Client Supplied Colour
Samples
Client-supplied printed colour samples
can be accepted for some products but not all. Please contact us to
discuss your particular project.
Even if we can accept your colour sample it may not be possible for
our printers to "match" the colouration on your supplied sample -
but we will come as close as our printing equipment will allow. This
is because the printing equipment, calibration, inks and substrates
used to print your sample are different than what we will use to
print your order.
Because we cannot guarantee a match to your supplied sample we
require you to order hard-copy proofs for sign-off.
If the colouration of your hard-copy printed proofs is not to your
satisfaction there may be nothing we can do about it from a
standpoint of printing. In many instances the only way to alter
colouration will be for you to revise your artwork and resubmit it
to us. In this event, re-proofing charges will apply.
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