I'm trying to come up with a policy for color matching for customers. Something better than...
"There's no friggin! way that my print will exactly! match your stupid!"Light Choclate Milk Brown" color! from that lame brochure! that your so-called! 'Advetising Agency'! designed! for you - you moron!"
Anyone got anything better than that?
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
"I'll do the best I can, but there are some limitations."
Just a little less abrasive. Rapid
Posted by Nevman (Member # 332) on :
Thanks Ray - I know what you mean.
We have a policy for submitting artwork - you know that song - but it's the color matching that get tough. I've come up against a few clients that aren't pleased with the color ouput. I can't spend an hour or more trying to match a color on a $ 300 sign.
Just trying to see if anyone has a set policy with this regard.
Thanks...
[ May 17, 2007, 09:19 AM: Message edited by: Nevman ]
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
The ones I really want to shoot are the idiots who come in with a PMS chart that has 206 bazillion colors...and then picks out a page, goes down to 2 color chips and says "...maybe something between these two."
YAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
Jack Lindenberger tells a great story about an interior decorator that comes in with a paint stir stick with her interior wall color on it and wants that EXACT color on her sign. Jack does the sign, gets as close as he can, repaints HIS color OVER the color on the stir stick. She comes to pick up the sign and likes it but as she is pulling out her checkbook, asks to see the stir stick. Jack dutifully pulls it off the shelf and handed it to her. She layed it up against the sign and said, "Well, I guess that's close enough." You gotta love a color expert! hehehehe
Posted by Nevman (Member # 332) on :
Now that's funny Jane...classic...
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Good color management, a spectrometer and profiling software will make accurate color a reality. Pantone.com has what you need.
If you've already invested $15,000-$30,000 to get into digital printing, you may as well spend another $1500 for software and hardware that will allow you to get the color right without having to do all kinds of test prints and tweaks.
This is what's going to separate the men from the boys when there's a printer on every corner. 99% of them won't be able to guarantee color simply because they don't want to spend the money and time to figure it out or don't even know they can do it with the right equipment, and they will have to rely upon customers who don't care about precise color, thus they're all in stiff competition. If you're the only one in the area, or one of only a few that can provide picky customers with accurate and reliable color, that level of service is worth a premium to those demanding customers.
You CAN hit those colors. I guarantee you the large corporate entities working with high level ad agencies are NOT settling for "close enough" and they deal with more varieties of printing output than a sign shop can shake a stick at.
Hey I did a brochure with light milk chocolate and powder blue, nailed that color thanks to my vendor and having a profiled monitor. Posted by Nevman (Member # 332) on :
Thanks Mike - you make a compelling point.
Currently our client-base requires simple one-off design - not multiple run corporate matching.
I'm just trying to come up with some wording for our average sign client.
I'm working on one here, but I want to nail it before I put it up here on the site.
Thanks again...
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Pat, with the color management, spectrometer, colorimeter and profiling software, you can nail the color on those one-off small jobs too.
If you're using profiles for your machine, ink and media combination, and those profiles are accurate, then you only need to be able to profile your monitor, in which case the hardware is $200 or less.
I use photo labs and printing companies that are fully profiled and color managed, and my monitor is calibrated. The vendors I choose have taken the time to profile their own equipment, media and ink combinations. They actually don't charge more for it but I'm sure their color reliability keeps current customers loyal and attracts more color snobs to them which means more $$$ in the long haul. It is the coolest thing in the world to design something on screen and when you get the print back it's identical - and it happens every time, consistently.
Posted by Nancie W. Phillips (Member # 3484) on :
Mike... I'll hafta remember that you know so much...
Posted by Nevman (Member # 332) on :
Thanks again Mike.
That is really some useful information and I will look into it.
Editted to add:
I'll just start another thread.
[ May 17, 2007, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: Nevman ]
Posted by Clinton Cooper (Member # 6802) on :
Spectrometer is the best way, but I use a colour chart. I will send it too you if you don't have it. I have the chart printed out on the standard materials we use. When clients ask me to match a colour I pull out the chart. Pick off 2 colours that are close or exact as the case maybe. I say to the client, these colours are the closest colour I can get, which one do you prefer?. 99% of the time they are happy because they have picked the colour. I get the to sign off on the artwork and thats that. I know how frustrating colour maching can be.. It is worst part of digital until you get it right.
Posted by Deri Russell (Member # 119) on :
I do it the same way Clint does it. But I have a Versa Camm. So that day I do an Enviromental Match first and then run a small swatch of each colour and adjust accordingly. Don't ask me how big the prints were that I didn't environmental match.
Posted by Nevman (Member # 332) on :
Thanks Clint and Deri...
I use a color charts too but this is just one of those colors that I can't hit. I've blended the closest colors from all three color charts and nothing is even close. I know that I will have to tell this lady "take-it-or-leave-it".
I will definitely look into a spectrometer if this keeps coming up. Rest assured that clients that want a perfect match will be paying for that privilidge.
Deri...what's an "environmental match?"
[ May 18, 2007, 09:00 AM: Message edited by: Nevman ]
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hey Pat, What software are you using to design and preflight your prints? Without a color management "system" that uses ICC profiles, you're shooting in the dark. A good color management system, a Pantone Color Bridge and accurate ICC profiles will get you pretty darn close on 99% of the jobs you do. That 1% would need to go elsewhere because there will be no pleasing them Just by creating a color management "system", using the right profiles for the job and calibrating our CRT monitors using Adobe Gamma, I was able to get near 100% acceptable color accuracy. The only issues you'll face are files that don't have an ICC profile embedded or they're the wrong profile. But a quick run through photoshop will eliminate that.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
Posted by Amy Brown (Member # 1963) on :
Pat,
Environmental Match is a little adjustment on the VersaCamms. Sign Supply told us to do it at least once per week. I believe it adjusts the machine to the actual temperatures and humidity. I'm not positive about that.
The steps are in the manual.
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
...I always tell 'em that I will get as reasonably close (to a PMS color) as I can, since (as I inform them) I'm going to be using opaque paint instead of transparent printers ink. And I usually show them a One Shot or Porter color chart. That usually 'nutralizes' the issue...
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Between my Colortones book for paint and specratone for the edge I can match real close.
If PMS colors are needed Gerber does a great job with Color ID within Omega itself. I've been able to hit colors other shops weren't able to come close to.
[ May 18, 2007, 01:53 PM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
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