the subtle art of saturation.

Colour plays a significant role in bringing our creations to life, stirring emotions, and adding complexity to our work. Its ability to establish the ambiance, express joy, or evoke melancholy is unparalleled, it’s our eyes manifestation of light. When it comes to developing realistic mock-ups, the principle is "less is more".

Reducing saturation and brightness in your projects not only soothes the eye but also enhances the authenticity of your work. Printed art differs from the luminance of LED screens, necessitating a more subdued color palette. Additionally, incorporating a slight blur can elevate the realism of your designs. Printed materials are not flawlessly sharp; ink blends into the paper fibers. Thus, integrating a touch of Gaussian blur can significantly enhance the credibility of your creations, bridging the gap between digital mock-ups and real-world prints. But again, “less is more”.

So when next you're creating your mock-up, consider incorporating a few extra clicks to adjust the saturation, dim your brightness and introduce a subtle touch of blur.

Side by side example of our Textured Paper No.1 mock-up with adjust levels and saturation (left) and the original artwork (right).
Photography credit: Sunny Ng via unsplash.