Expert: Amy - 8/7/2007

Question
hi, I'm only a beginner with adobe illustrator and i am doing a design project for my year 12 HSC (Australia) every time i click on the colour i would like to use, it turns out a completely different shade for example i will click on a cyan type colour and the actual colour is a very dull blue!! Is there any way to adjust this?
thank you in advance
from Ashleigh

Answer
Hi Ashleigh,

You can create art for print and for web using Illustrator.

When you design for web, you are using RGB colors. Although they look bright on a computer screen, these RGB colors aren't really achievable in a print world. That's because they are made from light (pixels) and not ink.

When you design for print, you should be using CMYK colors. These represent CMYK ink mixes and will be more realstic.

Illustrator can be used for both types of art and has 'modes' to approximate the color gamut of each. So make sure your Document Color Mode (under file menu) is set to the right setting for your job.

Then make sure you are using the right colors for your objects.

Additionally, it sounds like you may be working in a Proofing environment.

In View > Proof Setup > Customize you'll want to choose a setup that reflects your final product. This is soft proofing and it greatly affects what colors you see on the screen. Personally, I don't use it (View > Proof Colors unchecked) I go by my Pantone guide color numbers to show me what it will look like.) Anyway, if you are designing for web, set this to sRGB.

Let me know if I can help further!
Amy