Printing is not cheap. I know because not only have I worked in print, but I also research print prices frequently for deliverables. So I personally know that it’s the absolute WORST when your print comes fresh out of the printer with those awful, muddy colours. I share this insight not only from the perspective of a designer; who knows how to setup documents so they’re ready for print, but also as someone who has worked on the other side of the bench, printing customer after customer’s sad pinks and muddy yellows.

The most important part of printing, is not when you’re sending off the file for print, or standing staring at the endless list of settings the printer seemingly has to offer. No. It’s when you’re setting up the file, importing your images, and exporting. 

You must make sure you’re file colours are correct, and know the difference between CMYK and RGB.

RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue. It is used in for screens. RGB works through additive colour mixing, meaning colours are made by adding light. RGB starts with black (0,0,0). Red, green and blue colour values are then added. Each value goes up to 255. If you go all the way up in each value (255,255,255) you will get white as a result of adding more light.

If a colour is 0 Red, 255 Green, 0 Blue, the screen will show a vibrant green colour. If 255 blue were added, the colour would then be a bright cyan. RGB are generally a lot brighter than colours you see on screen, as there are millions more varieties. 

Unfortunately printing has it’s limitations. When you see your design on screen, it’s using RGB colours. Considering there are significantly more RGB colours, when printed, printers default to the closest colour (which is generally a LOT less vibrant than originally anticipated). This results in those muddy gross colours which tend to give your brand a sad, depressing look.

• Always check that you’re setting up your document correctly prior to designing. Ensure you have RGB selected for screens, and CMYK selected for print.
• Use Pantone or printer-provided colour references when accuracy matters.
• Don’t rely on screen appearance alone for final colour decisions
• Ensure when importing and placing images that they are also in the correct colour format.
• Make sure you’re exporting in the correct file type. Certain file types are optimised for print vs screen usage.
• Always do a test print and compare colours. It’s better to get it wrong the first time than to drop $500 on printing only to realise your blue looks lilac.