Do you get a commission for every time you post these videos that are misinforming?
3 Likes
And picking colours by Pantone books is a far more efficient and reliable way to pick colours for a client than randomly picking CMYK colours and hoping for the best.
This field is completely saturated. Even if it’s your passion, unless you do exceptional work, I’d look into a different line of work.
1 Like
A different line of paying work. Hobby away.
Wow, that was quite the pile on. Yall know there is no saving this profession, right? I think I’m giving up on these posts too.
I’m really done with “match my monitor” too. I was over that well over a decade ago. Use a matching system, I don’t care which one, or get what you get. Reprint is on YOU when it is ‘wrong.’
1 Like
So where can I get a light source that matches partly cloudy daylight that will shine on the side of my client’s van, or mostly sunny daylight that will influence the thread color on his embroidered coveralls, or the incandescent light over his client’s kitchen table where they’ll read his invoice? I want that logo color to look the same everywhere. I mean, it’s just black, but still.
Try two decades.
1 Like
I went into a clients building where I had worked with them for years.
I saw they got new signs up, and I was little bit annoyed that I wasn’t involved, but I started the conversation about the signs and they said a new guy started and wanted to go with this company - so they did.
I took one look at his multi-colour logo on the wall - it was about 20ft - 3d text - beautifully done.
But the colour was wrong. It was supposed to go blue, purple, navy - but with went blue, purple, purple.
When I said this at first glance he just shouted down the corridor ‘GARY!’
Gary came running and the sign makers had to come out, remove the bad logo, and replace it.
Colour is very important for a business. Even if they don’t realise it’s wrong.
I’m the professional, and I spotted it, no reason others wouldn’t either.
And all because someone didn’t check it.
It had absolutely nothing to do with colour correct monitors, daylight, moonlight, nightvision goggles or anything of that nonsense.
They sent the .ai file with Pantone colour references - they did a flat conversoin to CMYK and it didn’t work - nobody checked the colour references.
And the colours shifted - and it was printed wrong - a very costly mistake, from manufacturing to installation.
And I got the client back.
1 Like
If the Pantones were sent, that’s on the sign guys. Especially at that size where 3D text and possibly paint are involved (if it was all printed, the install cost more than the prints…) Even if they aren’t applied to the file the colors should have been followed if they were only sent in the write up. That’s not excusing the guy that ordered it, but everyone got what they deserved in that case.
Yeh, from what I know the sign guys agreed it was their fault. It was clear what was needed.
At the end of the day they did it free of charge, and all was fixed.
No harm done. Just a gigantic waste of people’s time and energy.
I usually go and do press passes on these things. But I wasn’t involved in this one.
Press pass on a sign? Hmmmm… gotta update my pricing sheet. LOL.
Hard proof yes. Paint swatch panels on spec’d substrate, yes.
Being here while I do em? Costs extra
Yeh, when it’s over a certain value - standard contract stuff with the print supplier I use.
1 Like
The guy in the video is calibrating his monitor, lighting, and printer to work together. He wants what he sees on his monitor to match as closely as possible what comes out of his photo printer. OK, this makes sense. I would do much the same if I were a photographer who made and sold my own prints from my own printer.
What I’m not understanding is how this relates to designing logos for clients. When designing logos, designers choose the colors. Spot-on perfect calibration between lighting, monitor, and printing machine is irrelevant since you won’t be selling prints of the logo from your printing machine.
In my case, if I decide a logo I design should be red, I pick the red I want. I do so on my mostly accurate LED monitor under whatever lighting conditions are in my studio. Once I’m more or less happy, I get out my Pantone swatch book and pick the closest red. I’ll view the color swatch under several lighting conditions and do the same with both the coated and uncoated swatch to make sure it’s the color I want. I’ll also check to see if there’s a good CMYK match for the Pantone color.
If all seems right, I’ll assign that Pantone color to the logo. I’ll also create a version with the CMYK breakdown (as well as RGB, B&W, grayscale, etc.)
None of this involves a perfectly calibrated monitor with my printing machine. Instead, I’m choosing a color from a Pantone swatch book that any good printing company can match at any time in the future. It’s irrelevant whether or not the swatch book color matches my monitor perfectly under specific Kelvin temperature lighting conditions.
What is relevant is that various printing companies will be able to match the Pantone color I’ve chosen. Pantone 185, for example, is the same color no matter who prints it. Every good printer has the formula for matching that color using their printing equipment. There’s no reliance on my monitor and lighting matching up with anyone else’s down the road.
5 Likes
@Smurf2 Thank you very much. I’ve switched from CMYK to Pantone and here are the first results:
And here’s a very handy CMYK to Pantone coverter:
Great to hear you’ve taken that step - a huge thing to do - and thank you so much for confirming your switch.
However, a word of warning - Pantone and CMYK converters are generic.
And the results will differ from different paper stocks.
You need the Pantone Books.
The reason for this is that the CMYK version may not be a very good match for the Pantone.
You can use the swatches in the book to compare other CMYK breakdowns to your Pantone colour and select a different CMYK breakdown closer to the Pantone colour.
Or specify the Pantone colour to the printers so they can closely match.
There are other variables at play, other than ink, like paper, humidity, and a few other things.
Having the Pantone books ensures you know what the colour looks like in Pantone and in CMYK - and you can avoid potential slip-ups.
It’s a good idea to reference your Pantone and CMYK breakdowns so that there is clarity across the board.
But I am delighted you have taken this step. It’s made my day.
Thank you.
1 Like
Just a small note about CMYK to Pantone conversions…
CMYK values range from 0 to 100 on each color plate. That means there are over 1million possible combinations of CMYK values.
There are only 1867 Standard Pantone Coated swatches. The chances of getting a really good match? Not so hot. Start with Pantone.Then find the corresponding CMYK values. If you want a visual on this, go play in the Photoshop color picker. Enter random CMYK values then see how close the library swatch is. Most times, not so much.
And be aware of the little icons in the picker. The exclamation point means it is likely out of gamut for standard 4-color printing, while the little box under that means it is not a web-safe color.
BTW, the photoshop thing is NOT a short cut to find a Pantone when you think you need one. Likely as not a proper logo will have Pantone callouts and you should go by those, not what Photoshop tells you (we won’t even get into how applied profiles affect those colors…)
2 Likes
Since you mentioned it, it might be worth pointing out that using web-safe colors hasn’t been necessary since sometime back in the '90s. Today’s browsers can display any hexadecimal color the computer monitor is capable of displaying.
Good to know.
Never had a use for either icon really. I know what colors aren’t gonna print and we can print some colors on some wide format machines that conventional presses can’t touch. Just don’t talk to me about Reflex Blue and 021 Orange.
Color is not an easy concept for designers to get. Once they have a bit of years behind them, many of them tend not to rely on exact matches anyway with the exception being logos. The pros know what works, and that machine outputs can vary with the weather, LOL!
Eight years of college. I liked school, I guess. 
Same here but my degrees aren’t all in Design, LOL.
Never went for the Masters. Thought about it a few times, even applied for one after my second degree. The Masters program I applied to dismissed my application saying, “Anyone that wants to pursue a Masters in Botany should have done better than a C in Genetics.” Tried explaining the Genetics teacher was also the (doctorate-level) Virology professor and we were helping with his research, but nope. C-ya Lata. That C saved me a ton of money.