Inside the booth
Why an event printer cannot reproduce every screen colour
A display emits light; a printer reflects light from a limited set of materials.
A vivid costume may glow on a bright phone screen but look quieter on a small photobooth print. The screen and printer have different colour gamuts and different viewing conditions.
Compare the devices’ colour ranges
A device gamut is the range of colours it can represent or reproduce. A printer profile describes a particular output condition, while a screen emits its own light. Some bright or saturated screen colours fall outside the printer’s reproducible range.
Evidence: Standards body technical guide
Use a proof instead of guessing
Soft proof with the correct printer profile when available, then make a small physical print. Check saturated garments, skin and neutral background areas. A monitor viewed at high brightness in a dim room can make the print look darker even when the colour conversion is reasonable.
Evidence: International standard
Set a realistic expectation
Choose the rendering that gives the most pleasing result for the image and print medium, then label the proof conditions. If the printer has no reliable profile, explain that colour is approximate. Do not alter every portrait based on a single uncalibrated display.
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- International Color Consortium, Introduction to the ICC Profile FormatStandards body technical guide
- ISO, ISO 12646:2015 Displays for Colour ProofingInternational standard