Monitors and the (color) display of your dissertation.
How are colours displayed?
There are many different ways to represent a colour. The main distinction is between colours that you see because light is reflected off them, and colours that you see because they emit light. This sounds a bit vague, but it’s actually the difference between a printed image and the same image on your screen. In the latter case, the image is displayed by a vast number of tiny lights; with a printed image, the light reflects off the ink on the page, which is what allows you to see the colour.
In these two worlds (the analogue and the digital), there are different systems for reproducing these colours. In the world of printing, the most common is the CMYK spectrum. CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key; the ‘Key’ indicates the amount of black. By mixing these colours, you can create any colour you want within a given spectrum.
The digital world is based on RGB. This stands for Red, Green and Blue. Your screen contains three different ‘lights’: a red one, a green one and a blue one. These are so small that you cannot tell the difference; your eyes blend the combination of these colours into a single colour. This RGB spectrum also produces an infinite number of different colours within the RGB spectrum itself.
The CMYK spectrum depends solely on the reflection of light, whereas the RGB spectrum adds even more energy itself through the ‘lights’, making the RGB spectrum larger – a fact that is particularly evident in the brighter colours. Fluorescent yellow cannot be printed using CMYK colours, but it can be displayed on your screen.
Will this cause any problems when it comes to formatting and printing my thesis?
Actually, yes. Your thesis will ultimately be a printed product produced using the CMYK colour model. Ideally, we would therefore show you every proof and example printed in those colours, so that you know exactly what it will look like. However, as this would take far too long and cost a great deal of money, (almost) all communication takes place via email, which means that you view all colours – even though they are technically composed of CMYK – on an RGB screen. There is no universal solution to this, as not every screen is the same. The same image from your thesis may look different on different screens (depending on the brand and settings). The next problem is the variation between printers; even professional printers produce different results from the same input. The only thing you can do is precisely calibrate your monitor’s settings to match a specific printer, but most monitors do not even have these options; you could only achieve this with a colour-accurate monitor.
A reliable way to get a good idea of what your thesis will look like.
Of course, we’ve come up with a solution for this; whilst it’s far from ideal, it does ensure you’ll never be faced with any surprises. First and foremost, there’s the expertise of our designers: they have extensive experience with the specific machines used by printers and know exactly how to build up a CMYK colour correctly. We also make extensive use of colour proofs. If required, a colour proof can be produced free of charge. This means that a test print is produced on the very machine that will ultimately be used to print your thesis, using the paper you have chosen.
Before your thesis goes to print, you’ll receive a physical proof, printed on the correct paper and with the correct print quality. This way, you’ll never be faced with any surprises. This rarely causes problems for the interior, as it is predominantly black and white, but when it comes to the cover, things can sometimes turn out differently than you expected. That is why we always insist on producing colour proofs at an early stage; for example, if you’d like to use a specific shade of blue, we can arrange for a print to be produced showing seven different shades, from which you can then choose the right one – ensuring that, regardless of what you see on your screen, you can be certain that’s the colour you’ll end up with.
