The Importance of Color Management
June 17th, 2012
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Orange is orange – isn’t it? Well actually, no it isn’t. Exactly how much red is in that orange? And how much yellow? And in which color system was it defined? In order to achieve consistent colors in signage every time, you have to really know color management – and not everyone does.
As you can see from this color wheel, there are many ranges of colors that may belong to one color group.
Color management consists of steps to characterize, standardize and translate colors between devices and across color systems. Say you walk into a restaurant and order a dish that you would like “medium” in terms of spiciness. Depending on who you are and what your tolerance is, this could mean something entirely different from one person to another. But if you devised a chart with pictures of numbers of peppers and words attached to each level, by showing this chart to any restaurant, they would be able to interpret exactly how hot “medium” is to you. The same goes for color management. Each input and output device requires that same personalized table, or “color profile”, that will characterize how it responds to color. The input device colors are standardized using a set of references much like the spiciness chart. The translation then goes to the output device in language it understands, resulting in a much more accurate output.When working with colors, many factors come into play. A color called “sky blue” by the client gets translated into various number codes, whether it’s by the designer, printer or photographer. Each uses their own “language” to define it. Added to this, every monitor, scanner, camera or printer also has its own unique way of interpreting the exact color makeup of the specific color that the client intended. So how do you manage all of this and bring it all together so everyone is speaking the same language? Through color management.
What does this all mean in the signage industry? Those that practice color management will be able to much more accurately duplicate the color selections that you are after, whether you’re talking about colors in a wall mural, window graphic, fine art print, exterior sign, lobby sign, light box or vehicle wrap. Whether you’re a large corporation interested in preserving your brand equity by always achieving standardized colors in your logo, or a small business interested in building necessary consistency as your business grows, color management can be extremely important.
Sign Innovations understands the importance of color management and uses the latest techniques and software to achieve your exact color specifications. For the best in color accuracy for any of your signage, give Sign Innovations a call today at (704) 439-4700.
Deanna Duke
Sign Innovations
704-439-4700
