Like geographic coordinates – longitude, latitude, and altitude – L*a*b* color values give us a way to locate and communicate colors. What’s the history of L*a*b*? In the 1940’s, Richard Hunter introduced a tri-stimulus model, Lab, which is scaled to achieve near uniform spacing of perceived color differences. While Hunter’s Lab was adopted as the de facto model for plotting absolute color coordinates and differences between colors, it was never formally accepted as...
When it comes to the way we see color, our eyes can be deceived. This is partially caused by our humble brain, which is managing vast amount of information and processing it the best it can. It can also be related to genetics and the environment; we all see color a little differently. But above all, LIGHT has biggest impact on the colors we see. Without getting too technical, here is an introduction to the way light affects our perception of color. RGB Color Circle The temperature of lig...
The eXact is a portable spectrophotometer with an intuitive touchscreen interface. Printers and packaging converters use it to control, manage, and communicate color from anywhere on the pressroom floor. It comes in a variety of models to fit every customer need, and can be upgraded as those needs change. We’ve recently expanded our X-Rite eXact family to include a Basic model. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to know which eXact model is right for you. Today’s blog can h...
If you work in the print and packaging industry, standards can help you set clear expectations for clients, solve problems in your workflow, and improve productivity. They can also bring an independent perspective to production. Printers aren’t the only ones who should keep up with standards. Brands who are concerned with quality, price, and speed to market can also benefit because it allows them to compare print providers and choose the best candidate. The ISO and other standards organiz...
Color 2018 was a huge success for connecting the dots, breaking down silos, and learning how to gain control of an integrated color management workflow. It offered in-depth sessions including Brand & Design, Print & Production, Standards & Business, and Vendor/Product Demonstrations. I was there to share tips and advice about how closed-loop color control can help you keep up with color. Here are some of the key takeaways. What is closed-loop color control? Closed-loop color can me...
Warm weather is just around the corner and spring is in the air! Fluffy yellow chicks… Delicate pink tulips… Soft green sprouts poking through the ground… And, of course, spring M&M'S®! Advertisers target our springtime emotions through pastel colors. Pastels have a calming effect, and everywhere you look companies are using them to feed our desire to feel a bit of spring. Today we’ll take a look at the psychology of color, how marke...
When customers are just getting started with color management, they often ask, "What is the difference between a spectrometer and a spectrophotometer?". With such a minute spelling difference, it's easy to make a quick typo and get the wrong answer for this color question. So...what's the difference? Spectrometers vs. Spectrophotometers What is a Spectrophotometer? A spectrophotometer is a color measurement device that is used to capture and evaluate color on just about anything, in...
Printing using extended gamut process colors allows for a broader color gamut – CMYK PLUS Orange, Green and Violet. By adding these three additional base inks into the process, you can achieve a much closer match to traditional formulated spot ink colors. For example, orange will look truer and cleaner when orange ink is used, rather than mixing yellow and magenta to achieve a suitable match. Read more about how the PANTONE® EXTENDED GAMUT Guide helps printers here. Good: CMYK &nb...
The two most common spectrophotometers are the 0:45 and the sphere (aka diffuse/8°). We get a lot of questions about which is the best choice. Here’s the difference in how these two devices measure color, and guidelines for when to use each. 0:45 In a “fixed geometry” or “single angle” device, the first number is the starting point of the light, and the second number is where the light ends up after the reflection off the surface of the sample. In a 0:45 ...
In the sign and display graphics business, as in many other segments of the printing industry, shorter runs and reduced cycle times can stress even the most efficient wide format printing operations. By implementing a color-managed RIP-to-roll (or RIP-to-rigid media) workflow, these operations can ensure that color is right the first time and every time to help speed work through the shop and meet color expectations. Photo by Peter Saunders Today we are share tips from our Color Experts that c...