ArtSites Updates

Have you ever gone into the TV section of a store and noticed that the colours on different monitors look different?

Well, the same is true for ALL other monitors and screens, e.g. computer monitors, laptop, phone, and even tablet screens.

This week, we received the following question from Nicole Wakeman:

I got a new monitor and my paintings are showing much more yellow green and over- saturated, than on other monitors. I have done what colour calibration/adjustment I can on it, but it's not making any noticeable difference. Any ideas on how I can fix this?

And, in a related exchange, I was working on a website makeover this week and realized that what I saw as a "deep reddish-brown" colour, the artist saw as "red"!

In both these cases, we were encountering one of the fundamental problems with colours online!

Simply stated, depending on your monitor or screen, the colours YOU see will most likely be different that those seen by others!

In short, here's a list of factors that typically cause colour display problems:

• Viewing environment
• Monitor settings & graphic card
• Browser & operating system
• Nonlinear human vision
• Gamma correction
• Color coding

If you want to read the details about these factors, here's a great article: Why Aren’t Different Display Colors the Same on Different Monitors?

While a monitor might be well rated, it may not represents colours accurately. Monitors have gotten better but they still vary widely in terms of how well they represent colours.

We have found that Apple screens tend to do a better job of representing colours, but you can't be sure your visitors are on an Apple device.

Unfortunately, there isn't anything we or you can do to rectify this issue. :-(

That said, we simply want to make sure that you're aware this issue exists!

Many of you spend hours trying to find the "perfect" shade or colour, but please know that online, your colour choices may not translate perfectly.

In essence, you should always keep in mind that even though you may find the colours represent your artwork, there's a fairly high chance that the colours your visitors see will be different!