Why Does Your Printed Design Look Different From Your Screen?

“Why doesn’t my print look like the design on my screen?”

Plenty of business owners have asked this. After excitedly opening a box of business cards or flyers, they find their once-vibrant design looks nothing like it did on the monitor. Dull, pixelated, or off-centre, and definitely not something to proudly hand out.

It’s a common problem, especially when you’re new and building your brand on a limited budget. There isn’t much room for mistakes, and a full print run can be costly when it doesn’t turn out the way you hoped.

So why does it happen, and how do you fix it? Let’s take a look.

RGB versus CMYK

Your monitor uses a colour range called RGB (red, green, and blue). It can display a huge range of colours and make them look very vivid.

Printers use a different system called CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), or Pantone, which is a set of pre-mixed inks you choose from. Because of this, not every bright RGB colour can be reproduced in print. Sticking within the CMYK colour space when you choose your brand colours helps you avoid disappointment later.

Screen settings

Monitors use light to display an image, which can make colours look more intense than they really are. Most people also tweak the brightness and colour of their own screens, so the true appearance of a colour can be masked or exaggerated.

It helps to remember that printed paper naturally looks flatter and less saturated, because there’s no backlight brightening it up.

File colour settings

The files you send to the printer should always be in CMYK, or have a Pantone profile assigned, so your colours can be matched and reproduced accurately.

A common mistake is sending a file in RGB. This forces the printer to pick the closest CMYK alternative, which often ends up looking noticeably duller.

File types and sizes

PDFs are widely accepted by printers because they keep your colour, fonts, and layout consistent across devices. They’re especially handy for designs with lots of detail or vector images, like logos and branding elements.

When in doubt, ask your printer which file type they prefer before you send anything over.

Printing surfaces

Even with perfect colour settings, there’s always a little variance on a printed surface. Uncoated, textured paper makes a logo look less defined than a glossy coated card would.

If you’re printing on fabric, the material naturally absorbs some of the ink, so it can look slightly less vibrant. Allowing for a little variance, or choosing colours that suit your chosen surface, helps you avoid a nasty surprise.

The bottom line

Print doesn’t have to disappoint. A little understanding of colour settings and surfaces goes a long way toward getting results you’re proud to hand out.

If you’d like help getting your branding consistent across your website, print, and everything in between, take a look at our branding service at /services/branding.