The way it was: a short history of managing color across industries and locations Describing color has always been a subjective and expensive process for all parties involved in production of color. Suppliers, particularly those separated by time zones and language barriers, experience most difficulty. In 1980s, manufacturers alleviated some of these difficulties by measuring physical standards with a spectrophotometer in one location and then distributing "color" of that standard to other locations with data from spectrophotometer –i.e., in form of spectral reflectance curves. A physical sample was still needed for visual reference, but approval of batches was “by numbers.” Yet challenges in communicating color remained. Regardless of how many numbers are assigned to a color, we don’t see in numbers. A verbal description doesn’t precisely help us visualize what another person means by “fire-engine red,” as color is both a physical and psychological response to light. When a paint pigment such as titanium oxide, for example, strongly scatters light, it yields a white effect. When another pigment absorbs certain wavelengths of light, it produces a colored effect. In addition to this physical phenomenon, each viewer brings a different response to same stimulus. These differences can be due to age, fatigue, color vision defects, gender, or experience. Consider how human factors impact color matching process in this typical scenario: designer struggles to communicate precisely color he or she has envisioned, using physical samples and describing how proof should vary from sample – i.e., warmer, brighter, bluer. The colorant supplier tries to match each sample, but still doesn’t satisfy design spec because sample is only a starting point. Not only is designer limited to feedback about sample in most subjective terms (e.g., by talking about it), but sample supplier was given to match may not be same substrate or pigment coloration as final product. And medium matters. Whether it’s opaque or transparent, matte or gloss finish, flat or round, plastic or paper, affects perception of finished color as surely as does other considerations.

Embracing entire color cycle Simply put, color cycle is as complex as it is encompassing. To a designer, color speaks to aesthetics and identity. To a manufacturer, color is precise and tangible. Designers want flexibility and creativity while production needs an exact target and direction to deliver first-run quality. The latest advances in color technology utilize power of today’s best web-based solutions to address such diverse approaches to color and to capture its complexities in ways never before possible – completely, accurately, electronically. The new electronic medium that leading color developers have embraced provides a comprehensive and inclusive framework that affords everyone throughout supply chain opportunity to benefit from shortened time to market, costs reductions, and overall improvement in color quality. How? In general, new, web-based color communication system delivers correct color approval throughout a supply chain not by duplicating efforts, but rather by streamlining and enhancing color processes already in place. The specifics of how latest electronic color communication system optimally works is illustrated by following: 1.An OEM or component manufacturer selects a color standard and measures it on a spectrophotometer (color measuring instrument). 2.The color standard then appears as a digital image on computer monitor, which has been calibrated for color accuracy. 3.The standard is then electronically sent to supplier, where trial color samples are produced and measured on a spectrophotometer. 4.The supplier then electronically sends back its digital sample of best possible color match to manufacturer where it is compared to standard on calibrated monitor. If match is not accepted, more color matching is requested and is done by supplier and digital samples are sent until manufacturer approves color match. 5.The manufacturer then receives final lab sample, usually in less than half time of a “traditional” color matching trial and error process.

Perhaps most powerful, inclusive aspect of new electronic environment is fact that color now can be communicated digitally and assessed visually. Receivers of a virtual color sample get more than a set of numbers – rather, receiver sees precisely color on screen that corresponds to colorimetric data. Similarly, visual tolerances can be evaluated and set realistically. Everyone, for example, can see how far a particular spectrophotometer reading – such as 1CMC unit - is from a particular color standard.