Understanding color profiles

When creating artwork for print, it’s important to understand how color profiles affect the final result. This ensures your prints match your expectations and look professional for your customers.

What is a color profile?

A color profile is a set of data that tells printers and screens how to interpret the colors in your file. The two most common profiles are:

• sRGB
• Adobe RGB / CMYK / ICC profiles

Which profile does Printumo recommend?

We recommend that you upload your files in sRGB color profile.

Here’s why:

• We convert files to match their calibrated printers, which are optimised for sRGB input
• sRGB ensures the best consistency between what you see on your screen and what is printed
• Files in other profiles (such as Adobe RGB) may shift in color during conversion, leading to unexpected results

Why do colors sometimes look different in print?

There are a few reasons:

• Brightness on your screen may be higher than the natural reflectivity of paper
• Monitor calibration, lighting, and paper type can affect the perceived final result

Best practices for accurate prints

• Always design using the sRGB profile unless specifically advised otherwise
• Use a calibrated monitor if color accuracy is critical
• Avoid neon or very saturated digital-only colors that cannot be reproduced in print
• Order a test print before launching products to ensure you are satisfied with the colors