Print color can be one of the most exciting parts of a project. It can also be one of the fastest ways to turn a simple proof review into a lengthy conversation.

• “The blue looks wrong.”
• “It needs to pop more.”
• “Can you make it warmer?”
• “It just feels a little…off.”

Everyone may agree there is a problem, but unless you can identify what is wrong with the print color and communicate it clearly, getting to the solution can take longer than it should.

Learning how to evaluate color methodically and use precise terminology can make proofing more productive, reduce unnecessary revisions and help keep print projects moving. You don’t need to become a color scientist. You just need to know what to look for.

First, Make Sure You’re Evaluating Color Fairly

Before deciding a color is wrong, consider the conditions under which you’re viewing it. Color is influenced by its surroundings. Lighting, paper, nearby colors and even the device you’re viewing can change your perception.

For printed materials, evaluate color under consistent, neutral lighting whenever possible. If you’re comparing a proof with a previous printed sample or color standard, place them next to each other under the same lighting.

Also consider what you’re using as your reference. A computer monitor, office printer, Pantone swatch, contract proof and previously printed piece aren’t interchangeable. Your monitor produces color with light using RGB, while a printed piece reflects light from inks or toner on paper. That’s why “make it match my monitor” can be a surprisingly complicated request.

Pro Tip: Before production begins, identify what will serve as the approved color reference. Establishing that target early can eliminate a lot of subjective decision-making later.

Evaluate One Thing at a Time

When something doesn’t look right, resist the urge to evaluate the entire color at once. Instead, break it into specific characteristics.

Hue: Is It the Right Color Family?

Hue describes where a color sits within the color spectrum. A red might appear too orange or too blue. A green might lean too yellow. A corporate blue might suddenly look slightly purple.

Instead of saying: “The blue is wrong.”

Try: “The blue appears slightly too purple compared with the approved sample.”

Now your production team has something specific to evaluate.

Lightness: Is It Too Light or Too Dark?

Sometimes the hue is correct, but the color’s overall lightness isn’t. A photograph might appear too dark in the shadows. A background might feel heavier than expected. A pastel might be printing lighter than the intended color.

Rather than: “The image looks muddy.”

Try: “The shadows appear too dark and we’re losing detail in those areas.”

That immediately narrows the problem.

Saturation: Is It Too Vivid or Too Muted?

Saturation describes the intensity of a color. Highly saturated colors appear vivid and strong. Lower-saturation colors appear softer or more muted.

Instead of: “Can you make the red pop?”

Try: “The red appears less saturated than the approved sample.”

“Make it pop” might be excellent creative direction. It isn’t quite as helpful when someone is trying to determine exactly what needs to change.

Color Cast: Is Something Influencing the Entire Image?

Sometimes the problem isn’t one individual color. An entire image may appear too warm, too cool, too yellow, too green or too magenta. This is especially noticeable in neutral areas, skin tones, whites and grays. If a neutral gray suddenly looks slightly green, for example, that’s useful information.

Instead of: “Something looks strange.”

Try: “The neutral areas appear to have a slight green cast.”

Specific language gets everyone looking at the same issue.

Compare, Don’t Rely on Color Memory

Human print color memory isn’t nearly as reliable as we like to think. You may know your company’s logo is a particular blue, but recognizing a slight difference from memory can be difficult. Put two versions next to each other, however, and the difference may become immediately obvious.

Whenever color is critical, use a physical reference whenever possible.

That could include:

• An approved Pantone swatch
• A contract proof
• A previously approved printed sample
• An established brand color standard

Side-by-side comparisons make it much easier to identify whether a color is warmer, cooler, lighter, darker, more saturated or less saturated than the target.

Pro Tip: If you’re supplying a previous printed piece as a color reference, tell your printer exactly which colors or images are critical. “Match this” is less useful than “Please use the blue logo on the front cover as our color reference.”

Remember: Paper Is Part of the Color

Here’s where evaluating printed color gets particularly interesting. Ink doesn’t exist independently of the paper underneath it.

The same color can look noticeably different on a bright white coated sheet, a warm natural stock or an uncoated textured paper. The whiteness, shade, finish and absorbency of the substrate all influence how we perceive the final color.

An uncoated sheet may absorb more ink and create a softer appearance. A warmer paper can subtly influence colors printed over it. A highly reflective coated surface can make colors appear more vibrant.

This doesn’t necessarily mean something went wrong. It may simply be the natural interaction between ink and paper. That’s one reason paper selection shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought when color is important.

Pro Tip: If exact brand color reproduction is critical, discuss the paper choice and color expectations with your printer early in the project.

Screen, Proof and Press Sheet: Know the Difference

Another common source of color confusion is expecting every representation of a project to look identical. Your monitor displays RGB color. Commercial printing typically reproduces artwork using CMYK inks, process builds, spot colors or combinations of these. Some bright RGB colors simply cannot be reproduced exactly within the CMYK color gamut.

The goal isn’t necessarily to make every device and proof look identical. The goal is to establish which reference is controlling the final printed result. For color-critical projects, communicate those expectations before production rather than discovering them when the job is already on press.

Replace Subjective Words With Useful Color Language

You don’t have to eliminate subjective reactions. They’re often what alerts us that something needs attention. The trick is turning that reaction into useful information.

If your first thought is: “This doesn’t look right.”

Take another minute and ask: What’s actually different?

Is it:

• Warmer or cooler?
• Lighter or darker?
• More or less saturated?
• Leaning toward another hue?
• Showing a color cast?
• Losing highlight or shadow detail?
• Different from the approved reference?

That extra minute of evaluation can save considerably more time later.

Establish Your Color Priorities Early

Not every color on every project needs the same level of scrutiny. A corporate logo may require extremely consistent reproduction. A product photograph may need accurate skin tones or product colors. An artistic background image may allow considerably more flexibility.

Before your project reaches production, identify the elements where color matters most. Ask yourself:

Which colors absolutely must be right?

Then communicate those priorities to your printer. Providing Pantone colors, approved proofs, physical samples and other references can give the production team clear targets. Even more importantly, having the conversation early gives your printer an opportunity to identify potential challenges before they become production problems.

Better Color Communication Means Better Print

You don’t need sophisticated equipment to become better at evaluating color visually. You need a method.

Look at the project under appropriate viewing conditions. Compare it against the correct reference. Evaluate hue, lightness, saturation and color cast individually. Consider the influence of the paper. Then describe what you’re seeing with specific terminology. Because “the blue looks wrong” starts a conversation.

“The blue is slightly darker and more purple than our approved sample” helps solve the problem.

The more clearly designers, marketers, print buyers and printers can communicate about color, the faster everyone can identify issues, make informed adjustments and keep projects moving. And that means fewer rounds of “Can we make it pop a little more?”

Have a color-critical project coming up? Involve Neyenesch early. Our team can help you evaluate paper, proofs, color expectations and production options to get the results you’re looking for. Contact Neyenesch at contact@neyenesch.com or (619) 297-2281 to discuss your next print project.