How do I match colors with inserted pictures in Word?

[Dwayne Smith]

In Word 2003, I am trying to match the colours of filled shapes and text to
the colours of imported graphics. I can't figure out which RGB colourspace
Word uses - for example: I have saved a graphic with colour R220, G220, B20
in three different colourspaces (colormatch, sRGB, AppleRGB) and also filled
a Word shape with R220, G220, B20 - but the word shape doesn't match any of
the imported graphics.
many thanks, in advance.

 

[Dwayne Smith]

Thanks for your time Genine

I agree that Word doesn't handle colours very well

The problem is - if I use exactly the same RGB values in both programs
(photoshop and Word) - I get different colours (ie. the colour in the Word
shape is not the same as the colour of the graphic imported into Word)

And this occurs irrespective of the photoshop RGB colourspace (eg.
colormatch, sRGB, CIE RGB, Adobe RGB, etc) - so perhaps there's some other
proprietary "Microsoft RGB" ??

It seems that it is just something we will have to accept - and move on to
more important matters - like when's the next coffee?


thanks again
d.

 

[Tim Murray]

I've noticed, when trying to get pictures out of a Word document, that

colors in the picture will be altered. So, it appears to me that Word
changes the RGB values in a picture--adding a layer of confusion and making
color matching next to impossible...

Remember that when a graphic is imported into Word, it's not like you have
some "wrapper" around the original graphic object. In Word 2000, at least,
Word natively stores JPEG images and converts all raster formats to portable
network graphics (PNG).

 

[CAndersen (Kimba)]

Remember that when a graphic is imported into Word, it's not like you have
some "wrapper" around the original graphic object. In Word 2000, at least,
Word natively stores JPEG images and converts all raster formats to portable
network graphics (PNG).

Since JPEG is a raster format, I don't get the distinction you're making.
And since PNG is not palletized, there would be no reason for any color
conversion when the format is changed.

 

[Dwayne Smith]

I've noticed, when trying to get pictures out of a Word document, that
colors in the picture will be altered. So, it appears to me that Word
changes the RGB values in a picture--adding a layer of confusion...........
....it remains another reminder that Word is, after all, just a
word processing program (as I'm often reminded in trying to make font colors
match company standards).

Exactly what I am finding too - unfortunately our clients would like to use
Word to do stylish report covers and whatnot, to match their brochures, etc.

And there is no logical or technical reason why they should not be able to
do this - even in a word processing program.

It remains another reminder that monopoly = lethargy and apathy

many thanks for your time
d.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Dwayne,


There can be a number of factors in this, including the version
of Word, the printer driver and its settings (including the
ICM color matching profile selecte) and the graphics card drivers
and the settings for color on the particular computer involved
in viewing/printing the file.

If you're trying to match a Pantone color or use a CMYK based
graphic there won't be a direct correlation in Word that's easy
or reliable.

If you create a basic purple square in Word, in Photoshop or
other graphic app using RGB of 120/40/200 (#7828C8) and use
a color checker eyedropper tool, such as Colorcop
http://www.datastic.com/tools/colorcop/proposal.php

and check the onscreen colors between what you have in Word
and your other app, do you get a variance?

Word is still 'text reflow' based software rather than
graphics page layout oriented.
=======
Exactly what I am finding too - unfortunately our clients would like to use
Word to do stylish report covers and whatnot, to match their brochures, etc.

And there is no logical or technical reason why they should not be able to
do this - even in a word processing program.

It remains another reminder that monopoly = lethargy and apathy

many thanks for your time
d. >>