Color Matching

Color matching process can be challenging to capture the correct color due to multiple variations within the process. Many patterns and images are viewed from a personal computer screen and have not been calibrated to the actual colors of a Pantone color chart. The materials printed on the Pantone fan deck chart do not have the same balanced white point as a production textile substrate. Large format printers require color calibration, and generally do not have the exact same calibration as the company printing the Pantone color fan deck charts, therefore it’s unlikely to provide an exact match when producing a printed substrate. The printers are also not calibrated to match your computer's colors. Various substrates have different profiles and white balance points, which creates differences in the printed outcome. There are many variables to consider. 

So how does the production team match and print an acceptable color?

Typically, manufacturers offer several standard color options when selecting patterns or images. All the colors have been printed and approved for production. In the event that you do not find the proper color selection, a custom color option can be requested. Partner with your vendor and request a color change within the design. Provide a new Pantone color substitute number and request a new sample to be printed and shipped out for your approval. 

There are also many color matching tools available to assist when matching colors. The tools will provide a color code for printing when viewing the surface color. Hard color copies are always helpful when matching a custom color. While custom colors will never be 100% accurate, they  will allow the colorist a better starting point to make color value adjustments. The colorist may provide a series of small color swatches for approval. If the color is still not suitable it may require making independent adjustments to the CMYK or RGB file in incremental adjustments to get closer to the desired color requested. However, keep in mind that custom colors can be challenging to hit the color within an acceptable tolerance for the client and may require several attempts. To save time for the client and the production team, it may be a good idea to print the Pantone color samples on the actual production substrate offering multiple options to select from within the color gamut.