Understanding Colours, Shadows & Special Effects in Printing

Understanding Colours, Shadows & Special Effects in Printing

Why Your Print Might Look Different to Your Screen

When you’re designing artwork for apparel or merch, it’s easy to get caught out by how different things can look between your screen and the final print. If you’ve ever wondered why your neon looks duller in real life, or why that fancy drop shadow didn’t turn out how you expected — this guide is for you.

We’ll keep it simple, no jargon.

Screens vs Print – Why They Never Match Perfectly

Your phone, laptop or tablet is backlit.
That means it literally shines light through colours to make them look bright and punchy. Printing is the opposite — we put ink onto a shirt or material, and the colour you see depends on:

• the ink
• the fabric
• the lighting
• and the colour mode you designed in

So the golden rule is:
Screens glow. Shirts don’t.
That’s why printed colours will always look a little different to digital.

 

RGB vs CMYK – The Big Difference

This is the number one reason designs change from screen to print.

RGB (Red, Green, Blue)

This is what screens use.
It’s bright, vibrant and capable of producing neon-looking colours and glowing effects.

Great for:

• social media graphics
• digital art
• website images

Not great for:

• final print-ready artwork

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)

This is what printers use.
It has a smaller colour range and simply can’t reproduce certain bright colours you see on screens.

Great for:

• print files
• predictable colour results

Why Neon & Fluro Colours Change in Printing

When you create artwork on a screen, bright colours can look “fluro” even if they aren’t actually fluorescent.

Regular printers cannot print true fluros or neons — these require special inks that don’t exist in standard DTG or DTF printing.

So if your design includes:

• super bright greens
• neon yellows
• glowing pinks
• electric blues

They will always print less vibrant unless converted properly.

We’ll do our best to match the intention, but some colours simply can’t be reproduced in standard ink.

Drop Shadows, Glow Effects & Gradients

Effects like:

• drop shadows
• outer glow
• soft fading edges
• neon-style glows
• blurry highlights

…can look amazing on screen but may not translate perfectly to fabric.

Why?

Printers put down ink in tiny dots.
Soft shadows and hard edges don’t always blend the same way they do pixels on a screen.

This can result in:

• shadows looking darker than expected
• glows looking more solid, less “soft”
• gradients printing with slight banding
• thin haze effects disappearing completely

We can usually fix this by adjusting your artwork, but it’s something to be aware of when designing.

Why Your Print Might Look “Darker”

Many fabrics — especially cotton tees and hoodies — absorb ink slightly.
This can make designs look:

• darker
• softer
• less crisp compared to your screen

Stonewash and vintage tees also naturally mute colours a little because of their textured surface.

How We Help You Get Better Results

At Right Lane Print & Media, we adjust and prepare your artwork so it prints as cleanly and accurately as possible. Our process normally includes:

• converting RGB to CMYK correctly
• soft-proofing colours to see how they’ll translate
• adjusting neons and glowing colours to print-friendly versions
• strengthening drop shadows and outlines
• cleaning up gradients
• checking contrast so your design doesn’t disappear into the shirt

If something simply won’t print well, we’ll tell you before production — no surprises.

Tips for Designers (Even Beginners)

You don’t need to be a pro, but these tips help:

✔ Design in RGB, but keep colours realistic
✔ Avoid relying on fluros or glowing neons
✔ Use solid shadows instead of super soft ones
✔ Boost contrast — low contrast fades into fabric
✔ Ask us if you’re unsure (we’re always happy to help)

In Short…

Your screen and your shirt speak two different languages.
That doesn’t mean your design won’t look amazing — it just means we help translate it so it prints the way you intended.

If you’re ever unsure how your artwork will go, just reach out. We can guide you, adjust your file, or even help redesign it to make sure it prints perfectly.