Color Gamut in Graphic Design
Read this entire web page or just watch this video that I narrate.
8:43
The number of colors we can accurately see/print/display varies when we compare the human eye, a printed magazine, or a computer screen. These groupings of colors for a certain medium are referred to as gamuts.
Designers need to be aware of color gamut differences when they create design work for marketing material.
If you are designing for a printed brochure and accidentally set up your colors in RGB (used for computer/tv/device screens) you may choose a color that doesn’t look good when printed on paper (CMYK).
If you’re in a software application like Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign, you will receive an error message telling you that the color is “Out of Gamut.”
Like this:
To fix this issue, you have to switch to a CMYK color mode or click the little box next to the caution icon to choose a different color—one that will look best in the specific gamut you’re designing for.
Color Gamut Overview
Below is a comparative look at three popular color gamuts. You can see why film photographers were initially reluctant to switch to digital photography. You can also see that an RGB photo will lose a lot of color range when printed in CMYK.
Color Shift by Color Gamut
Certain colors look different in RGB (screens) versus CMYK (paper/printed on a surface). Here’s a look at two photos and how the colors change when viewed in a specific gamut.
Gamut is called Color Mode or Color Space in software apps like Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
Some of the differences are very subtle but they are there. Since the RGB gamut can reproduce a larger number of colors we see brighter colors. The CMYK gamut produces fewer colors (that the human eye can see) so some colors look duller.
So . . . Does it matter if they change?
Good question. It does. For example, let’s say you design a printed brochure on the computer and use RGB. You’ll have a very nice looking design with bright, vibrant colors. Next, you send a PDF proof of that brochure file to your client to approve. They love it and say, “Print it!” The problem arises when your client receives their printed brochures and the colors are duller than the proof you sent them. They call you and ask, “What happened? The brochures were printed wrong.”
Just make sure you are designing in the gamut/mode/space that your final marketing material will be reproduced in. That will eliminate any surprises for your client.
You’re probably thinking, What if I’m designing for several different pieces of marketing material? Some are RGB, some are CMYK, some are foil-stamped, silkscreened, etc. The answer is that you should send a proof for each of these designs in the proper final gamut. Some gamuts and printing processes are too difficult to show to a client with a digital (PDF) proof. So most designers and manufacturers require an actual product proof of the final piece. So the client would receive 1–5 actual final products to approve BEFORE the entire 1000+ products are made.
I works with some printers who will not print your stuff unless you approve a proof printed on the actual substrate your final product will be on. They don’t accept approval of digital proofs because they fear you’ll reject a final printed product that doesn’t look like your digital proof.
Pantone Color Bridge to the Rescue
The Pantone Color Bridge color book is a huge help to designers wanting to choose colors that won’t shift dramatically when reproduced across different gamuts. Most designers begin designing with a Pantone spot color. Then they convert them to the RGB or CMYK colors when they are designing and sending proofs to their customers.
The Pantone Color Bridge book, shown below, shows designers each spot color and then the same color converted and printed in CMYK. Try to choose colors for your design that doesn’t shift too much across gamuts. This can be a challenge but do your best.
