Back to Dye Printing Tricks & Tips
In the spectrum of color there are a few million different chroma. The human eye can only see so many. Of those the computer monitor can display less. Of those less can be printed. That's why you can see a vivid flourescent, but you can't necessarily print it off on your deskjet printer. In Photoshop you can create a lot of colors, but you've noticed how once you print out the artwork, it can seem duller than the screen. This is why. The printing gamut is a smaller selection of viewable and thus smaller selection of visual colors.
So, let's say in the universe here's all the colors there are:
Now the human eye can see only what's within this arch shape. Jedi can see more towards the ultraviolet, vampires even deeper into the infrared zone.
Now this triangle displays what can be viewed on a computer monitor with today's technology. That may change in the next few years (note a black and white monitor would display even fewer colors). This is the RGB realm.
This polygon shows what the CMYK process inks can replicate in offset printing. Note the colors not printable. There are some shades that just can't be put down with ink, some colors are outside the RGB gamut, most are within it. Some spot Pantones fill in this area outside the CMYK gamut, but not all chroma can be printed at this time.
This irregular shape shows all the colors currently available in crayon boxes. See how there's even fewer to chose from?
Work in the realm that can be viewed on the web for web work, and in the ink realm what will be printed.
In Photoshop use the color picker and click on "Only Web Colors" to limit what you can work with. Then you'll know what you've eye-droppered will appear the same on well-calibrated monitors around the world.
To see what colors are outside the printable gamut click off of "Web Colors" and watch for that little warning triangle. Chose a color and got that warning? Click on the triangle warning buzzer and it'll push your choice to a duller, but printable color. Adjust accordingly. Photoshop is good, but it ain't got style.
