There is a popular acronym in the world of computer-aided design called wysiwyg (pronounced wizzy-wig) which stands for "what you see is what you get." Unfortunately, when dealing with the issue of color and reproducing color to different output devices, what you see is not what you get.

As product developers, you know how difficult it can be to get 3 different fabrics, all of which have a different fiber content, to match. The reason for this is that each fiber takes color differently, requiring a different dye formula for each.

This same concept holds true in the world of computer generated color. Each color device used in computer-aided design and production, including monitors, desktop printers, and commercial 4 color process printers, have their own unique definitions and limitations for color by virtue of their own unique technology. This can cause some real nightmares for the uninitiated.

In order to understand how and why this happens, you need to understand some simple basics. The colors we see in nature with our eyes represent an extremely wide range of options or color gamut, as represented by the visible light shown on Figure 1. When it comes to reproducing color, however, we run into limitations.

A computer monitor uses combinations of red, green and blue light sources to reproduce all of its color. When added together, these lights produce the colors you see on the monitor, or on a TV set. A desktop printer or printing press, on the other hand, utilizes a combination of percentages of cyan, magenta, yellow and black to define its colors and to print on paper. Since each color reproduction system has its own color gamuts and color definition systems, viewing and producing colors on different devices will usually produce different colors. Figure 1 demonstrates the color limitations that are inherent when moving from natural light to a monitor, film for printing, and actual printing.

Figure 2 demonstrates three ways of defining the same color gold. Pantone, which represents a pure mixed color, will define this as 150 CVC. In order for the monitor to represent this color, it must define it in its own color standard, which is 250 levels of red, 189 levels of green and 96 levels of blue. This same gold color, if it is to be accurately reproduced on a commercial printing press, must be defined in the printed press color standard of cyan, magenta, yellow and black, and would need to be defined as 0% cyan, 31% magenta, 69% yellow and 0% black. Most programs will automatically convert Pantone colors to their RGB or CMYK equivalent automatically, but the results will vary from program to program and are often not acceptable.

Rule #1 when using the computer as a creative tool is to think backwards! In much the same way you work backwards with your merchandising calendars each season, when beginning to draw on a computer you must have the final destination of your illustrations in mind. The final destination will determine not only how to define your colors, but what software to use, what resolution to use, what file format to use, what equipment you need, and a variety of other issues.

The question to ask yourself is "What is the final output device upon which these colors will be viewed: a monitor, a desktop printer, a slide or a commercially printed page?" If the answer is all of the above, then often multiple color palettes are required, with conversions and multiple illustrations to be made as necessary. Building your computer files properly can help significantly in making this a relatively painless process.

One of the more frequently experienced painful lessons in CAD implementation, is the frustration when attempting to hand-off computer generated illustrations from the design department to the advertising department in order to produce a commercially printed marketing piece. Not only will the advertising department have to completely edit all of the colors in order for them to be correct for the printing press, but depending on the software that was used and the resolution of the illustrations, often times the entire product lines needs to be redrawn. This is certainly a costly and time consuming process which can be avoided if you learn to think backwards and anticipate your needs before you commit them to digital data.

When we provide creative services for a client, the very first task we perform, before we draw any illustrations, is the establishment of a color palette. We begin with lab dips or color swatches and match these colors against pre-defined color formulas for the given output device. If we will be outputting to a desktop color printer in an office, we will match the colors against the color chart which is supplied as a digital file with the printer and has been run off to paper. If we will be producing a commercially printed marketing piece, we will match the lab dips or color swatches to a process color system specifier, which is available from a variety of resources. We usually create several color choices and will run to film and matchprint in order to determine the actual color formulas we will use for the illustrations.

For companies that work with a service bureau for color output, I recommend that they ask them to provide you with color standards from their printer that you can match against.

The key to remember is that each different output device you use, even two different printers which are the same model or two different monitors, will most likely cause color shifts. This leads me to Rule #2 in the utilization of a CAD system: Keep all your variables consistent. In order to assure color accuracy, you must be consistent with the equipment you use for both viewing and outputing your files.

These variables must include the room conditions, which can dramatically effect color perception. Ideal conditions include a windowless room with neutral gray walls and lighting that never changes. As you well know, fluorescent lighting will only create problems.

By virtue of their inherent technologies, the ability to match colors exactly between the monitor and the printed page is impossible. Though monitor manufacturers give a lot of attention and lip service to monitor calibrators which will optimize and standardize the color and contrast of the viewing monitor, they can do nothing more than improve inherently incompatible technologies.

This color issue represents not only one of the most frustrating aspects of cad, but the area with the most rapidly advancing technology. Several companies have developed color management software that theoretically assures consistency between the different devices. A color management system, or CMS, works in the background and translates colors based upon pre-defined color profiles for specific output devices, allowing for more consistent color viewing and output. CMS's are new, they are an exciting area for the future, but are not yet the total solution.

As technology has evolved and we have begun to address the issues it raises, such as those above, new rules and methods have developed. One of these exciting new "methods" is the development of computer generated presentations, which can take the form of simply viewing products on screen from their native applications and move all the way to multi-media or interactive presentations produced on CD-ROM. A major advantage of computer presentations, which can be viewed on a monitor or a TV set, is that they reduce or even eliminate the color discrepancy problems which are inherent when files are output to different devices or medium.

Regardless of the methods you use for the standardization of color from your computer system, if you know the basics, the control of color reproduction is in your hands.

©1996, Teri Ross