I was sitting across from the president of an ink company (my boss at the time) discussing a color matching issue. This was not going to be a fun conversation. I gave her the respect she deserved, looked her in the eye, and said, “You are really not going to like this answer, but, it depends.”

No one wants a reply like that on a question that, in their mind, is a simple yes or no answer. I totally get that. On the flip side, there are a number of things that factor into the answer. Some of the main ones are:

• What do we mean by a match to begin with?
• What are we comparing it to?
• Are we making our match assessment visually or through measurement and have we agreed on that ahead of time?
• Are we making visual assessments in a light booth?
• Has everyone in the process taken a color acuity test (like a Munsell test)?
• Are there outside forces affecting our assessment? How are we controlling them?

I will touch on each of these briefly. Together we can explore this and maybe learn some things that will help you navigate this tricky water.

What do we Mean by a Match?

To some, that might almost come off as a sarcastic response to the question, but there is valid thought behind it. People have different tolerances for what constitutes a “match.” Dave Hunter has done pioneering work on this subject. Some people won’t have a problem with a color difference that would drive another person crazy. There has been a movement in some areas of color management to not use the word “match” at all, but to only use the words “shared appearance.” The reason being that when many people hear the word “match” they think of an exact match and only an exact match. In a world of machines and tolerances, there is really no such thing as an “exact match.” Understanding what everyone in the process means by a “match” is a great first step.

What are we Comparing it to?

We just had a case where a client was unhappy with the color of the piece. We went back through our process control and found nothing amiss, so I asked what I feel is one of the most important questions you can ask: “When you get your sample from us, what will you be comparing it to?” It turns out, the client was comparing our piece to another vendor’s piece that they liked better. Once we understood the expectation, we were able to adjust the color and satisfy the client. It is never too early in the process to ask this question. Ask it early and often. No matter how tight your process is (and ours is pretty tight), you may not be giving your client what they want if you don’t know what they are comparing you against.

How are we Making our Match Assessments?

I am going to lump several things together in this. I am a firm believer in “Anything you can measure, you should measure.” At IWCO Direct, we use visual assessment as a last resort most of the time. We are striving to take the guesswork and subjectivity out of the process. We are measuring spot color matches back to our established spot libraries for consistency. We often measure a color on a proof and then on the printed piece to inform us how to adjust for a closer match.

Does that mean that visual assessment has no value? Heavens no! Numbers can tell us a lot, but we can back that up with our eyeballs. We may be within our tolerance, but to the red side and what the client is comparing to may be within tolerance but to the green side. Both within tolerance, but to each other are they acceptable?

Visual assessment should always be done in a light booth. I understand the great temptation to skip this part, but it can be vitally important. I have a sample that I keep for show and tell that measures super tight on a critical gray (1.2 dE). In the light booth it is an excellent match. Take it to various other rooms with different lighting and the match can go from bad to downright frightening because of a phenomena known as Metamerism (more on that below).

We should be using all the tools at our disposal to ensure a good shared appearance. We should also let our clients know that we are using all of the tools at our disposal. I have found that most of the time if the client knows that you are checking their color fidelity regularly, they are much more at ease, even if there is a hiccup. Let your client know how you are checking their color and how often―this will go a long way in bringing peace of mind. We are able to provide our clients with run reports on most jobs. Mistakes will happen, but if the client knows it’s the exception and not the rule, you are a long way toward the goal.

Color-Blind Press Checks

In an earlier job, we had a client come in for regular press checks who was color-blind (I’ll call him Fred). How do I know that? Fred would be assessing the color and say, “That needs a lot more red.” I would look at our pressman, who had almost perfect color acuity, and think “The last thing this needs is more red. It needs way less red.” We would go out to the press, make the adjustment that we needed to make, and when we got close, Fred could tell it was close and sign off.

We often wondered what to do about Fred. We finally decided that short of telling his boss and maybe getting Fred fired (he was a very nice guy who probably didn’t know he was color-blind) we would let it ride.

The reason I knew our pressman had almost perfect color acuity was because everyone in the process had been tested using an online Munsell test (an abridged form can be found here). Our one pressman always got a 0 (perfect score). I usually got 2. I have one zone of blue/green that I struggle with. One of our client service people got a 56 (that’s bad). She asked if she was going to get fired. We said “No, but you aren’t going on any more press checks.”

Knowing that I am deficient in that area of blue/green helps me. If I’m assessing something in that range, I will call in a second set of eyes.

The Dreaded “M” Word

When I worked at a previous job, the owner forbid the use of the word “Metamerism.” In its simplest form, Metamerism is the phenomena of two colors matching in one light source and failing to match in another. The effect can be slight, depending on paper, ink, or maybe fabric, or it can be a profound difference. At that company, we had a satin poly material that would show five or six different colors when lifted in the middle depending on how the light hit it. Using a light booth and measurements are some of the best ways to take this difference into account.

Summary

Color issues are hard and can create tension in an otherwise good vendor/client relationship. Setting clear expectations on what you are matching to and how that match will be accessed will go a long way toward making those encounters easier to navigate.