I finally learned why you need to check your printer's color profile BEFORE a big job

Just wasted about $85 on a batch of 500 business cards because the blues came out looking muddy and purple. I designed them on my screen and they looked perfect, but my home printer uses a different color system than the big commercial one at the print shop. I didn't convert the file to CMYK or ask for a proof, I just sent the file and hoped. The whole batch is basically useless for a professional look. Has anyone else had a color disaster like this? What's your go-to step to make sure what you see is what you get?

2 comments

2 Comments

reeseanderson1d ago

Oof, that's a rough way to learn about CMYK. At least your business cards have a unique, sad vibe now.

reeseanderson1d ago

Yeah, that "unique, sad vibe" thing is everywhere now. It feels like we're all just accepting broken or half-finished stuff as a style. I miss when things just worked right the first time.