Paper + Pigment: Why We Have Color Issues

Written by: Lexie Markarian, Street Level Studio

“In visual perception a color is almost never seen as it really is—as it physically is. This fact makes color the most relative medium in art. In order to use color effectively it is necessary to recognize that color deceives continually.”

—Josef Albers

In his influential 1963 book Interaction of Color, artist, art theorist, and educator Josef Albers described the fickle qualities of color, including color relativity. For a perfect demonstration of this phenomenon, watch this mesmerizing video from Germany! Or check out the following example from Albers’ book. You’ll quickly understand why we have color issues.

“A color has many faces, and one color can be made to appear as two different colors. Here, it is almost unbelievable that the left small and the right small squares are part of the same paper strip and therefore are the same color. And no normal human eye is able to see both squares —alike.”

It’s All About Context

The relativity of color is just one of its quirks. There are plenty more—all predicated on the larger idea that only by observing color behavior in context can one begin to understand it.

When color meets paper in the context of wallcoverings, for example, there are dozens of variables, options, conditions, and caveats to consider. These include the printing equipment being used, the file format, the choice of paper, the type of inks, and especially the environment in which the printed décor will eventually be seen.

Digital printing technology—especially production inkjet—has made wallpaper much more accessible as a way to not only change your space or add some drama but also make it personal and one-of-a-kind. Now, almost anything is possible. If you imagine it, a surface or graphic designer probably can apply it to a digital wallcovering design with an amazing degree of detail, texture, and color depth.

And the results should be spectacular, provided proper color management procedures are in place at the print shop. But achieving the desired decorative effect still requires an understanding of color’s capriciousness and all the factors from concept and production to installation that affect it.  

What We’ve Learned from Wallpaper

First and foremost, our experience designing digitally printed custom wallpaper has proved the importance of determining exactly how different colors react on different kinds of papers—coated, uncoated, textured, etc. The finished product depends to a great extent on the physical properties of each type of media and how it reacts to pigmented ink, as well as how those properties impact hue, saturation, brightness, reflection, and refraction.

So, when choosing wallpaper, make sure you and your interior designer employ Albers’ concept of observing color in context. Consider carefully the materials and manufacturing processes used, not just the design and ambient conditions of the room where the wallpaper will be displayed. It’s the only way to match your wallcoverings precisely with the hues and tones of surrounding paint and textiles—and the only way to overcome some of the limitations inherent in color’s quirky nature!