Color checking on the internet

After my issue with the color of the backing for Splinter's Delight, and receiving a new backing that was great, but totally different in color than I expected, I dove into it and tried to find out whether there was a way to see the colors of a fabric correctly online. The monitor was one thing. But then came this.
When I received the backing for Splinter's Delight, I planned on receiving this:

Photo of fabric by OQS (online quilt store) where I ordered

What I received was a total different color, a red purple, that was not even close to the color I was searching for. I noticed the colors of my monitor where not set correctly, and found a picture of Red Rooster, the manufacturer, that came way closer to the real fabric, but is way too bright. Check out the difference in appearance, for the same fabric:

From Red Rooster

And I found some more pictures, that differ from each other and from the pictures above:

OQS 1

 

OQS 2

 












Actually, none of these come close to the original! Although OQS 2 comes close, the redness in the fabric is not to be found. And trying to make a picture myself of the fabric did not show the different colors  in the fabric correctly.

Then my new backing. I expected this from the OQS:

Color presentation of OQS where I ordered

What I received, compared to quilt

This is what I saw when it came in. I expected a color close to the triangle mid right or the one up right. The color came closer to the blue purple in the green/blue/purple swatch in the middle.

So I checked out the color presentation of the same fabric from other OQS.






Check this out:

None of them come even close to my picture, what to me is as close as I can get to how I interpret the color. Then the color presentations also do differ from each other in size.

So whatever you do, whatever you need: check out a specific fabric on the internet for different pictures. And then do not expect to receive what you saw, be in for a surprise. You might see it in reality way different, as photography is an art, and there are so many influences on how a color is represented in a photo. And interpretation of color is very personal. Your red might be my pink... If you want to be sure, your Local Quilt Shop might help you out!

Have fun quilting!
Annemart