Here at Club Backdrops we’re really into colour. So much so that we introduced two new Canon Colorado printers to our arsenal back in 2022/23 and we’ve never looked back. With our Canons we’ve gained more consistency in our product with less colour variation between print runs, we’ve got waaaaay more production speed - but best of all, we’ve been able to give you the freedom to create your own backdrops with our Custom options - most notably Custom Colour, which has become one of our most popular products. We’re super-proud of it and we know you guys love it too!
But this custom option does present a small problem for you as a customer, namely in choosing colour - and not just any colour, but an achievable colour.
That might sound like a strange thing to say, so, what do we mean by that? Well, all that beautiful kaleidoscope palette you see on the screen in front of you might not actually be printable at all. The reason for this is different colour systems, how they’re composed, and the function they play. So let’s dive into… colour formats.
Colour Formats - RGB & CMYK
- RGB: Everything you see on the screen in front of you is presented in a colour format called RGB - Red/Green/Blue. RGB is a palette built from the mixture of these colours in the form of light, and it operates in the digital world covering a broad spectrum, including high chroma and vibrant hues. It's an additive colour model.
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CMYK: When we move across to printed media we’re operating in a format called CMYK - Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/Key (Black). CMYK colours are composed in ink and this format represents the spectrum of colour that is achievable through mixing these different inks together. It's a subtractive colour model.
When we look at the image below we can see these colour spaces in action and the breadth of colour that is available within them, and you'll see that the one thing that really stands out is that CMYK is a significantly smaller space than RGB - notably losing out in the areas where colour becomes much more rich and vibrant.
In short, you will see both RGB and CMYK on a screen but you will only see CMYK on paper, and there is a really good reason for this.
These vibrant RGB colours - the ones that really pop out at you - have one key advantage in that they're constructed from light and backlit from your monitor. This unlocks a deeper and bolder palette that becomes available with illumination behind it, and gives your RGB colours a really strong foundation from which to flourish.
👉 What about HEX? A HEX code is just a shorthand way of representing an RGB colour. It’s made up of six characters - or three pairs of two - with each pair corresponding to the Red, Green and Blue values. Each value ranges from 0 to 255, written in hexadecimal (base 16) format. For example, #00FFAA translates to RGB(0, 255, 170) - a vibrant mint green!
So what does this mean for you when ordering from your Custom Colour?
Something that’s really helpful for you is knowing whether your colour is 'available' in CMYK while planning out your project, or to at least have the best idea of what to expect from your Custom Colour backdrops so that you can work within, or around, those parameters.
RGB or HEX
If you’re ordering using RGB or HEX codes our editor will do a bit of the leg-work for you in converting these into CMYK. It’s not unusual that there would be at least some degree of movement, especially if you’re trying to order a particularly vibrant colour. The important thing to know is that if there is a change then it’s because your chosen colour isn’t fully achievable in CMYK on printed media.
Pantone
If you’re working from Pantone references the most ideal solution is to utilise the CMYK reference from a physical Pantone Color Bridge Guide (Uncoated being the best match for our product), or by using Pantone Connect. This will provide the closest CMYK match to Pantone's premixed spot colours.
You can see how this conversion translates in the image below - the swatch on the left is the original Pantone colour, and the swatch on the right is the CMYK translation, including the exact values to enter into our editor:
CMYK
In the instance you have specific CMYK references, good for you! - you can review these directly in our custom editor. If you're exploring printable colours from scratch, you can again do this within our editor (which will ensure you're not ordering anything unachievable), or within software such as Photoshop or Illustrator in CMYK mode. Just ensure your monitor is properly calibrated (using a device like this) so it's giving you the most accurate on-screen representation of your reference.
Hitting the Mark
Trying to achieve a colour that might seem technically unachievable? No problem - it may just require you to flex your post-production skills to get to the place you want. Just ensure your custom colour backdrop is as close to the intended colour as possible, take the shot, then utilise tools such as Saturation/Vibrance to pump up the volume. Using a grey-card, appropriately neutral lighting and minimising glare whilst shooting will also make things a lot easier for you in post (you can read more about this in our short guide to achieving optimal colour here).
To give you an idea of the importance and impact of post-production, see an example of pre-vs-post images of our Peach backdrop below:
The Wrap
While RGB offers a vibrant, wide range of colours thanks to the power of light, CMYK will always be more limited due to the nature of printed media. But by getting familiar with the colour space you're working with and using tools like Pantone references or CMYK colour charts, you can ensure that you know what to expect and how your colour codes will translate practically in print.
Just remember, even if a colour shifts slightly during conversion, it’s not the end of the world and doesn't mean you can't still achieve beautiful results - it’s all about working within the available parameters and, if needed, utilising some common post-production techniques to get your colours to hit the mark. As we like to say here - 'progress, not perfection'.
👉 Still unsure? If you want to be 100% about your colour choices, we offer fully-refundable Custom Colour Test Sheets for you to review your CMYK, RGB or HEX references before committing to a larger purchase.