             return nil
         }
         
-        returnString += " alpha:\(color.alphaComponent)]"
-                
+        
+        numberFormatter.maximumFractionDigits = ColorBuilder.maximumAlphaFractionDigits
+
+        if let modifiedString = numberFormatter.stringFromNumber( Double ( color.alphaComponent ) ) {
+            returnString += " alpha:\(modifiedString)]"
+        } else {
+            print ( "Error converting alpha component \(color.alphaComponent) of color to a string" )
+            return nil
+        }
+        
         return returnString
 }
     

            print ( "Error converting green component \(color.greenComponent) of color to a string" )
            return nil
        }
        returnString += ", blue: "
        if let modifiedString = numberFormatter.stringFromNumber( Double ( color.blueComponent ) ) {
            returnString += modifiedString

		numberFormatter.locale = NSLocale(localeIdentifier: "us")

        numberFormatter.numberStyle = NSNumberFormatterStyle.DecimalStyle
        numberFormatter.maximumFractionDigits = ColorBuilder.maximumColorFractionDigits
        numberFormatter.minimumFractionDigits = 1
        numberFormatter.decimalSeparator = "."
        
