By Dan Gillespie, Director of Technical Services at Alder Color Solutions

As photography, design, or prepress professionals, we’ve all been told not to rely on the color we see on our monitors because it’s not accurate. Most of the time that’s true, because most people don’t have capable devices or those devices configured properly. Most of what I see is that most people haven’t even tried. I think that’s probably because color management is highly technical and most don’t understand it and therefore use out-of-the-box settings—which will, of course, ensure that the color is not optimal or accurate. However, in many instances, the monitor can be the most accurate color device of all—more accurate than any press or printed proof. It comes down to gamut (among other things). 

The definition of “gamut” is “the complete range or scope of something.” In terms of devices (scanners, cameras, monitors, printers), it refers to the complete range of color a device is capable of capturing, displaying, or reproducing (with ink on substrate). Understanding the gamuts of all your particular devices is critical in achieving color accuracy.