How to make an image have a different color?

Who's job is it to make sure the image on screen shows up exactly the same color as the print?

• Is it the graphic designer's job to make sure the print comes out exactly the same color as on screen or is that the printer's job?

• Answer:

  Initially, it's the graphic designer who is responsible for color. Be careful in the sense that you, as the designer, are looking a color in RGB. Even though you switch you color pallet to CMYK, it's still RGB when viewing on the monitor since all monitors are RGB. It's best to calibrate the monitor which will help, but is never 100%. Your best bet is to have a Pantone color swatch book that lists cmyk values or use Pantone spot colors and convert them to cmyk. You can get a Pantone to CMYK swatch book as well. It's also important to understand that color on a coated surface looks different than on an uncoated surface as ink is absorbed more on an uncoated surface. So you would have to have the correct swatch book. Now, if the designer does everything correctly, matches the color to the swatch book and has a calibrated monitor and the color comes out slightly off, then it's the printers problem. Printers tend to gang run jobs. That means they place your job with another job and even other jobs on teh same sheet. Lets say some jobs may be heavy in magenta, but yours is dominant in blue. It's possible that the printer may increase the magenta on a press run and this will leave your blue looking off a bit...more like purple. Good printers do avoid this, but I have seen it. If at all possible, you want to see if you can schedule a press check - if the job is critical on color or a very expensive job. This way you can go in to the printers and watch him get the job ready and have him pull you a press sheet once he has the ink ready to print. I know this answer is a bit long winded answer, but want to give you a bit of background on the are.