Colour management and ISO 12647-2

Colour is a very subjective topic with everyone perceiving colour slightly differently. At Gpex we aim to reproduce colours as accurately as possible and in order to do so, have invested in technology to enable us to manage the colour output as closely as possible.

The way in which we view colour depends on the process that colour has been presented to us. For example, on monitors and digital cameras, colour is displayed through red, green and blue (RGB) light; however, when we print, colour is produced by a selection of pigments. These pigments in the case of the majority of printing are cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) inks which, when mixed produce a variety of colours.

As you compare different output devices you will notice that compared to the visible spectrum, the colours that can be produced through colour printing is reduced, and depending on the type of material, for example, coated compared to uncoated paper, will reduce it even further.

Profiling your computer for accurate colour display

Should you wish to work more accurately with colour, you can profile your computer’s monitor. There are many applications available but we use Eye-One Match from X-rite. This works by measuring the output of your monitor and adjusting the way in which colour is displayed.

When we produce proofs and print your work, colour is measured with a colour bar that appears outside of your printed work. This colour bar is scanned using an optical scanner and the colour is verified. Should the colour be incorrect, the printing press can be adjusted in order to bring the colour back to a measurable standard.