This last week has been interesting as Social Media first exploded with #TheDress (aka what color is it) which then spilled over to the TV & radio waves. I got to admit when I first saw the dress it was on a cell phone & I said it looks like cauliflower blue and a pewter. White & Gold – not a chance until I saw this full size picture… why do people see the different colors & what can we in the construction and design fields take away from this?
Spoiler: The Roman Originals dress shown can only be bought in blue / black, pink / black, red / black and finally white / black — but not in white and gold.
Not all screens are equal:
Or maybe we should say not all graphics cards and pieces of equipment are equal – that is one reason why I saw the colors I did on one screen while another one it can look differently. I know – so what? Well as a designer, contractor or even one purchasing said services just because something looks good on your screen, means it will look the same on someone else’s.
Lighting can help or hinder:
Ever wonder why the same color may look so different from one room to another – it has to do with the lighting in play. Cloudy or sunny day or “daylight” or “soft white” bulbs – yep it will change what you are seeing. So what happens if a color appears slightly off that you want to send to a client – you can always play with the mid-tones to lighten or darken an image. Heh, wonder why everyone sees different colors – this is what happens when you adjust the tones to the left & right.
Hire a professional:
There is one item that gets drilled into anyone attending an infrared class – you can’t change the focus or range of an image taken. In this case you can’t fix all the issues with how this shot was taken resulting in color wash. Want your project to really shine online or in print – I got to say this is one good reason why you should hire a professional. Not only can they eliminate the obvious lighting issues with the original picture, they can also add light to help bring out the aspects you are looking for.
Invest in a color swatch:
The most important takeaway – always invest in a few color swatches / samples as you never know how something will look in or on your place. This applies to more than just paint, especially with the advent of “Photo Shopped” pictures.