Most people assume that what they see on a screen can be exactly reproduced in print. But that isn’t true — and understanding the reason is essential if you want professional printed results that are close to expectations rather than a disappointing surprise.
The fundamental difference:
Screens and printers use completely different colour systems.
This isn’t a subjective judgment — it’s physics.
Screens Use Light (RGB)
Computer monitors, phones, and tablets display colour using light. The screen mixes red, green, and blue light (RGB) in different intensities to produce the wide range of colours you see. This is called an additive colour model — where colours are created by adding light together.
On a display, colours can be incredibly bright, vivid, and luminous — because light is the colour.
Printers Use Ink (CMYK)
Printing uses a subtractive colour model called CMYK — cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Instead of creating colour with light, printed inks absorb light that reflects off the paper.
In a subtractive system:
- White starts with the paper
- Adding ink subtracts (absorbs) light
- Combining inks produces darker tones
Because physical ink can only absorb certain wavelengths of light, the range of reproducible colour (called a gamut) is smaller than what a screen can display. Certain bright or saturated on-screen colours simply lie outside the CMYK gamut and cannot be printed exactly.
So What Does That Actually Mean?
Here’s the practical takeaway for anyone preparing artwork for print:
Screens can show colours that printers physically can’t reproduce
For example:
- Electric blues
- Neons
- Ultra-saturated greens
These colours look vibrant on screen but will inevitably shift, become muted, or look different when printed — not because of poor printing, but because the inks can’t produce them.
Design files must be prepared in the right colour space
Artwork should be created or converted to CMYK colour mode before printing, rather than relying on RGB. This gives a more realistic sense of what the print result will be.
Colour Management Matters
Professional print workflows use colour profiles (like ICC profiles) and calibration to help bridge the gap between screen and print. These profiles define how devices interpret colour, helping minimise surprises.
Other techniques include:
- Soft proofing — previewing how colours will look when printed
- Pantone Matching — using standardised colour swatches for accurate matching
- Test prints — verifying critical colours before full production
Each of these reduces risk and helps designers and printers align expectations.
Why Misunderstandings Happen
When a design looks perfect on screen but changes in print, it’s rarely a mistake. It’s simply the reality of how two different systems represent colour.
It’s like comparing:
- A sunrise viewed through a window (light shining in)
- A painted copy of that sunrise
Both can look beautiful — but one is created by light, and one by pigment.
Practical Advice
Here are some grounded steps to improve colour outcomes:
- Work in CMYK or use soft proofs early
- Communicate colour expectations with your printer
- Understand that not all vibrant screen colours can be matched
- Use Pantone colours when exact matches are critical
- Request test prints on the actual stock you’ll use
These practices won’t “fix” the physics, but they will make sure you manage expectations and reduce surprises in printed results.
Final Thought
Printed colour is not a direct translation of on-screen colour – it’s a reinterpretation within a different system.
Knowing why this happens isn’t a limitation – it’s a tool for better design, better communication, and better outcomes.
If you want help preparing artworks so colour comes out closer to your intent in print, solid colour management and early proofing are far more powerful than wishful thinking.
