THE SELF-PUBLISHER'S COLOR CONUNDRUM
Color can be tricky when it comes to print versus electronics. Print uses ink to produce color, whereas electronics use light. Print uses a subtractive color model based on cyan, magenta, yellow, and black-CMYK. Electronics use an additive color model based on red, green, and blue-RGB. Due to these differences, print renders color differently in comparison to electronics.
Vibrancy and color consistency between print and electronics will invariably differentiate. The degree of differentiation can range from a subtle shade to a different color altogether. For example, what appears as an intense blue in an e-book can appear as a mute purple in the print version. Furthermore, color can vary within each mode. Within print, choice of printing press and paper quality can affect color rendering. Within electronics, calibration and light conditions can affect color rendering. Fortunately, the differences within each mode are often negligible. Unfortunately, the differences between print and electronics can be more significant.
Modern design utilizes computer software, which inherently makes RGB the self-publisher's creative color mode. Some software allows working in CMYK mode or incorporates a CMYK preview mode. Neither are perfect solutions. These methods rely on conversion algorithms. A perfect conversion algorithm does not exist. Whether creating in CMYK mode or using CMYK preview mode, what a self-publisher sees is an approximation. Furthermore, the self-publisher is still viewing the colors on an electronic device rather than in print.
There is no foolproof way to reconcile the color conundrum between print and electronics. The best solution to meeting color expectations between the two modes are hard copy color charts. For the highest possible accuracy, a self-publisher should use hard copy charts printed by their choice of printing press on their intended paper quality. The charts will not change the differences between the two modes. The intense blue in an e-book will still be the same, as will the mute purple in the print version. What the charts will do is allow a self-publisher to see how a color renders in print versus electronic sources. By knowing this, self-publishers can modify color choices to colors that will render acceptably well within both modes.
Ultimately, when choosing colors to render acceptably well within both modes, it comes down to expectations rather than absolutes.
