04/11/2025
🎨 Why your colors look different when printed
Ever noticed your logo looks bright and punchy on screen… but dull on paper?
It’s not your printer’s fault — it’s the color mode.
💻 RGB (Red, Green, Blue) → for screens
It mixes light to create colors. The more light you add, the brighter it gets. Perfect for your website, socials, or digital designs.
🖨 CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) → for print
It mixes ink, not light. The more ink you add, the darker it gets. Used for business cards, packaging, flyers, etc.
So when you print an RGB file, your computer’s neon pink or electric blue suddenly looks… flat.
Because your printer can’t reproduce those light-based tones with ink.
👉 That’s why I always design your brand in both color spaces — to make sure your brand colors look consistent, wherever people see you.
Consistency builds trust. And trust builds connection.
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✨ Hi, I’m Claire, founder of Febulous Studio, a branding and website studio helping small businesses on a mission build mindful brands that reflect their values and uplevel thanks to powerful strategy and elevated designs. DM me to talk about your branding or website project!