Are your brand colors accurate on the web?
In a word, no. Technically, it’s not even possible. But you can get subjectively close!
I’m writing this post since the project I was recently working on required adherence to brand colors. This requirement is fine, except when the translation of color to the web is inaccurate, which, in this case, it was.
So how do you know if your brand color on the web is correct? Well, you really can’t unless you have the right software, but let’s explore this further so you have an understanding of what’s happening to your logo and / or brand colors.
Color 101
First, let’s cover the basics. Traditionally, logos are designed using the Pantone Matching System (PMS) to define color. Your logo most likely consists of one or two PMS colors. The PMS colors are a standardized color system for printing. Some snazzier companies may even opt for a custom color, which would mix two or more PMS colors to create a unique color.
In many cases, the PMS color converts cleanly for color printing. That conversion takes the single PMS color and breaks it down into percentages of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Most often referred to as “CMYK”, the “K” is for “key”, but old wives tales in the design world hint that using a “B” was rejected since it could be interpreted as “Blue” for cyan. Moving on… This full color printing is also referred to as “process color” or “four color” printing. Graphic designers and printers have been doing this for decades and have the process down pat.
While reading this post you are looking at “RGB” color, which is red, green and blue. Same as TV. With RGB you get more colors and more vibrancy. This is because it’s projected color. Print is reflective color. This simple fact means that you can never, ever match a PMS color to a RGB color. RGB color is coded on the web as a hexadecimal number, which is a 6-digit version of the color.
So to wrap up, your logo starts as a PMS color and is, most likely, converted to CMYK when printing items like brochures, it’s converted to hexadecimal (RGB) when used on the web. See “Color on the web: The Future” below to find out how this may be about to change.
Color on the web: In The Beginning
In the early days of web there were “web safe” colors. This was primarily due to PC monitor technology being in it’s toddler years. The web safe color chart consisted of only 216 colors. Your logo color would have to “snap” to a web safe color to maintain any degree of consistency from screen to screen. Pick a non-web safe color and run the risk of your logo looking odd.
Color on the web: Now
No color is off limits with millions of colors achievable. Hallelujah!!
Color on the web: The Future
Sharp’s new AQUOS Quattron TV has added Yellow to the RGB mix “enabling unbelievable colors to be displayed for the first time on a LCD TV.” You literally have to see this live to see the difference, as the commercial below implies. Oh my!
No doubt RGB+Y PC monitors will be available shortly. UPDATE: See below
So why isn’t my brand color accurate?
Accurate color is truly subjective. There are many factors that affect the presentation of your logo or brand colors.
For printed pieces it’s the color and quality of the paper stock, gloss or matte finishes, viewing in daylight vs. incandescent bulbs vs. fluorescent bulbs, ambient light, printer quality, etc. On the web it’s brightness, contrast, age of the monitor, monitor onboard settings, operating system color settings.
You brand colors may be interpreted correctly “by the numbers,” but the factors above, and probably more I forgot to mention, all impact how your brand colors are presented and viewed. Your local graphics pro can open up your logo in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or a similar program and tell you the exact numeric settings, but that’s about it. At the very least, you can ensure that the conversion is accurate and help other creative pros avoid the same issue I had.
UPDATE: Maximum PC debunk’s Sharp’s new tech
The July 2010 issue of Maximum PC ran a spotlight article on Sharp’s new four-color Quattron technology. Stating that it “…is just another shameful marketing gimmick.” The article goes on the say “Sharp’s fourth primary color is yellow, and there isn’t anything for it to do because yellow is already being accurately reproduced with mixtures of the existing red and green primaries. More importantly, a Quattron display can’t show colors that aren’t in the original three-color source image. So what good is it? None, unless you like to see over-exaggerated yellows.” And if that wasn’t enough, the article also stated that “…Sharp’s fourth color is absolutely superfluous and can only decrease picture quality and accuracy!” So there you go.
