Understanding Color Systems for Custom Tshirt Printing

When it comes to custom apparel t-shirt printing, understanding color systems is crucial for achieving the desired result.

If your logo/artwork is designed by a design house or graphic designer, they would have considered the use of the logo or artwork across different mediums. There should be a brand book or brand guide to provide the details for each color system.

1. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)

This color model blends these four colors in varying percentages to produce a wide range of colors. It’s best for designs with multiple colors and gradients, commonly used in digital and screen printing. All printers use the CMYK color model, where colors are produced by layering the four CMYK inks.

2. RGB (Red, Green, Blue)

This color system is used for digital screens. Colors are created by combining red, green, and blue light. If your design is in RGB, it will need to be converted to CMYK for accurate printing on fabric, which can sometimes cause color shifts.

2. Pantone® Matching System (PMS)

Pantone® Matching System (PMS) is a standardized color matching system that ensures consistent color reproduction across different materials and printers. It is ideal for designs requiring precise color matching, especially for logos and brand colors. Pantone colors are mixed to achieve specific hues and are often used in screen printing.

Tip 1: Converting RGB to Pantone color code or CMYK values Translating RGB values into a Pantone color code or CMYK values is possible, but it may not always be perfectly accurate since the color spectrum available on screens is typically brighter than what Pantone or CMYK can reproduce.

Tip 2: Bright Neon Colors Neon colours will look dull when printed using the CMYK color system. Unless if you are designing for Silkscreen Printing, neon colors can be used. Choose the neon colors from the Pantone® Matching System (PMS).

Why do the printed colors not match the colors on my screen?

Printed colors often don’t match the colors on your screen due to differences between digital displays and print processes:

Color Models: Screens use the RGB color model (Red, Green, Blue), which can produce a broader range of vibrant colors. Printers, on the other hand, use the CMYK color model (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black), which blends these four inks to create colors. Some RGB colors can’t be fully replicated in CMYK.
Color Profiles: Screens and printers use different color profiles and settings. Monitors are calibrated to display colors in RGB, while printers use CMYK profiles. Color management systems help in translating between these models, but discrepancies can still occur.
Material and Ink Variations: The colors on your screen are displayed on a monitor, which can show colors differently than the way inks appear on fabric. Fabrics can absorb and reflect light differently, affecting how colors look.
Calibration and Proofing: Screens are often not perfectly calibrated, and the final printed product can be influenced by various factors such as ink type, fabric color, and printing technique. Proofing and color adjustments may be necessary to bridge the gap between digital and physical colors.

Example of Pantone color codes vs CMYK prints on fabric (Sublimation Printing):

Here are 2 photos showing a page from the Pantone® Matching System (PMS) swatch book, laid on a sheet of sublimation printed fabric. The same PMS color code’s shade of color is different. We cannot use PMS color codes for color matching for sublimation printing. We recommend our clients to pick the colors from our printed sublimation fabric swatches.

Factors such as Fabric Material and Ink Types

Material Absorption:

Fabrics with high absorption rates, such as cotton, allow inks to penetrate deeper into the fibers. This can sometimes result in less vibrant colors because the ink spreads out and may not stay on the surface as intensely. Conversely, fabrics with lower absorption, like polyester used in sublimation, keep the dye on the surface, allowing for more vivid and precise color reproduction.

Fabric Colors:

The color of the fabric can alter the appearance of printed colors. For instance, printing a design on a dark-colored shirt may require additional adjustments or base layers to ensure the colors pop as intended. Light-colored fabrics usually provide a more accurate color match since they don’t alter the printed colors as much.

Ink Types:

Some printing methods, such as water-based screen printing, when printed on darker fabrics, the base fabric color can mix with the ink, potentially changing the final color. This is less of an issue with opaque plastisol screen printing inks or methods like sublimation, which work best on light-colored or white fabrics.

The Way We Perceive Colors

Color Contrast:

Our brain interprets colors based on their contrast with surrounding colors. A color can appear lighter or darker depending on the shade of the background. For example, a gray square on a white background might look darker than the same gray square on a black background. This is because the brain compares the gray to the surrounding colors and adjusts its perception accordingly.

Color Adaptation

This phenomenon, also known as simultaneous contrast, occurs when the color of an object is influenced by the colors next to it. For instance, a blue square might look more intense against an orange background than against a blue background, due to the contrasting effects enhancing the perceived color differences.

Color Context:

The context in which a color is seen can also affect its appearance. A color might look different under various lighting conditions or when surrounded by different colors due to the way light interacts with the color and how the brain interprets those interactions.