sRGB: How Colour works on The Web

As we’ve discussed before on this site, the importance of colour in Digital Marketing cannot be understated. The subconscious effects of colour on the human mind are truly powerful. With one colour, you can evoke an emotion or create an iconic look that can propel your brand to stardom. One important factor that very few […]

As we’ve discussed before on this site, the importance of colour in Digital Marketing cannot be understated. The subconscious effects of colour on the human mind are truly powerful. With one colour, you can evoke an emotion or create an iconic look that can propel your brand to stardom. One important factor that very few consider, however, is the way that colour will be shown to your audience. The Digital Era is built upon the foundations of standards and protocols that standardise content in all shapes and forms. Learn more about the standards that govern digital colour, and how you can capitalize on this information, with Wildfire Marketing – the number one SEO Agency in Leeds.

How is Colour Displayed on The Web?

When we ask this question, it can be very easy to get bogged down in the minutia. Each display has a different colour range, different brightness levels, different settings. Each PC has different colour settings in of itself, especially older systems. However, underlying all of this confusion is the one standard that defines how all browsers display the colour of web content.

What is sRGB?

sRGB is the standard set into stone by the IEC as the RGB colour range available on the web. It sets out the limits of the visible colour spectrum which developers and designers can use on the web. The sRGB spectrum was designed by HP and Microsoft in 1996. It encompasses the ideal visible colours on a CRT screen in-home/office conditions. The CIE chart for the sRGB colour is as follows:

PolBr, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What are the Benefits of sRGB?

sRGB makes for a perfect standard for a multitude of reasons. The main reason being that it is easy to reproduce. The colours available in this range are specifically chosen as they can be reproduced by any LCD or CRT available in the market under regular conditions. The sRGB also encompasses enough of the spectrum to cover a vast array of colours. Fron facebook blue to Adobe red, all can be displayed in the sRGB gamut.

Speaking of Adobe, however, there are flaws in the sRGB system. sRGB lacks many of the Blue-Green hues required in traditional printing, which uses a CMYK colour range. This can cause difficulty in transferring sRGB designs into the real world – something to note for brick & mortar business. Therefore, competitor colour ranges such as Adobe Colour Space and scRGB have been presented and indeed implemented in some cases. Without the backing of standardizing bodies such as the IEC, nor major corporations such as Microsoft, many of these have fallen into obscurity.

Factors to consider with sRGB in Digital Marketing

Make sure your design is a part of the sRGB colour range.

Many logo designs and site mockups are likely made in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Make sure you’re not using the Adobe Colour range in this process, as there is a high chance your design won’t look the same on the web.

Make sure your design can be printed

Try and make sure your design also falls within the CMYK colour range. Physical Marketing can still be a big part if any campaign, and a inaccurate logo on a billboard simply looks unprofessional

Make sure your monitor is colour-accurate during design

Many Monitors come with overly-warm or otherwise imbalanced colour settings from the factory. By making sure your monitor is properly calibrated, you’ll get a far better idea of what your logo should look like on every display.

Wildfire hopes this guide on the sRGB colour range benefits you during your Digital Marketing campaigns. For more information or professional Digital Marketing services, including SEO and Social marketing in the UK, contact us today or browse the rest of our site.