color commentary

Online shopping often depends on trusting the color you see on the screen.

But internet color can be tricky. The color you see on the screen may not look the same on the printed page, your wall, your lips, your car, your sweater, your sofa, or your to-die-for shoes. The color you see on your screen may not even look the same as the same color on another screen.

The key to shopping online for an item that depends on color is not to trust just one image.

• Order a fabric swatch, paint chip, or paint sample of the color(s) you like.

• Use a search engine to find other images of the item you are considering to see if the color is consistently “true.”

• Know the store’s return policy in case the color on the screen is not the color in the box.

• Buy items whose color you already know (the shade of lipstick you already wear).

• Read the reviews of the item and note how many buyers admit they "returned it because it’s not the color shown on the screen”?

Doing some research might keep you from being disappointed. Loving it on the screen is only the first step.