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Whether you need them for marketing purposes or a presentation, color copies of documents catch the eye and keep your audience engaged. Creating accurate, full-color documents can be tricky, as what you see on your computer screen won’t be an exact match to what you print and duplicate. This guide will tell you why this happens and how to get around it.

Why Digital & Print Color Copies Don’t Match

When you look at your computer monitor, you’re looking at pixels. A pixel is the smallest unit of a digital image; these building blocks combine to display what you see on the screen. Each pixel can display over 16 million colors, relying on the red, green, and blue (RGB) color system to create the hues on your screen.

color copiesPrinted materials can't rely on the RGB system because they can't reflect, refract, and absorb light to produce as vast an array of hues. In comparison, a printer can only produce a few thousand colors because it’s based on the CMYK system, which uses combinations of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

How to Ensure Accurate Color Copies

Understanding the differences between digital and print is the first step in ensuring accurate color copies. Since it’s impossible to print light, printed products end up darker than what you see on the screen. To get a more accurate match between screen and paper, calibrate your monitor, so it shows the widest array of colors and gray tones possible.

You can also activate color proofing on the design application you’re using; this will give you a better idea of how printers will interpret the hues. Before you make multiple color copies, you should also print physical proofs to get a sample of what the finished product will look like.

 

If you want help making accurate color copies, turn to our team at Professional Image in Honolulu, HI. Since 1978, we’ve provided printing, copying, and document support for everything from posters to banners and business cards. Your satisfaction is our priority. View our full list of services online, or call us at (808) 721-2611 to discuss your next project.

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