Finding a vinyl color match to Matthews Paint Code?

[Andy D]

I'm bidding a job that calls out Matthews paint Bluest Blue MP55697, which seems to be close
to PMS 4154C.
It's not lighting up, but doesn't have to be opaque.
It's going on the outside of the windows on a large building, full sun.
I would like at minimum 7 years, exterior vinyl.
Any suggestions?
Also, the contractor needs a warranty, the letters are 2' tall, running vertically, the top letter will be around 50' up, I'm subbing out the installation, any suggestions on what you would guarantee?

 

[Boudica]

I once remember someone sharing this neato trick to get a specific vinyl color. Something about taking colored vinyl, and printing on that to get a match.

https://signs101.com/threads/printing-on-color-vinyl.160449/

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Will you be able to see it? It looks like a dark color

 

[Boudica]

Will you be able to see it? It looks like a dark color

that will be pretty dark on a window all by itself.

 

[netsol]

boudica,
you beat me to it (that is the correct answer)
andy, don't you have a gerber edge?
i will check my spectratone book in the morning
if worse comes to worse, i will ship it to you, if you ship it right back when you are done

 

[Andy D]

I once remember someone sharing this neato trick to get a specific vinyl color. Something about taking colored vinyl, and printing on that to get a match.

https://signs101.com/threads/printing-on-color-vinyl.160449/

Yeah, that guy was a genius, & good looking too

boudica,
you beat me to it (that is the correct answer)
andy, don't you have a gerber edge?
i will check my spectratone book in the morning
if worse comes to worse, i will ship it to you, if you ship it right back when you are done

No, I have a Roland solvent printer.
Thank you for the offer, that's very kind, but it's not necessary.

 

[Gino]

So, you wanna print with mild solvent inks and have it last at least 7 years in full sun and you're kinda down south. Ahh, do you see a flaw in your request ??

Unless you find a color in cast die cut, you ain't gonna get anything much past 4, maybe 5 years. If you hafta be that deadballs on, even printing overtop another blue, it will fade from that, too.​

 

[Notarealsignguy]

So, you wanna print with mild solvent inks and have it last at least 7 years in full sun and you're kinda down south. Ahh, do you see a flaw in your request ??

Unless you find a color in cast die cut, you ain't gonna get anything much past 4, maybe 5 years. If you hafta be that deadballs on, even printing overtop another blue, it will fade from that, too.​

7 years is a long time. After year 2, they will lose count and forget who did the work.

 

[bteifeld]

I'm bidding a job that calls out Matthews paint Bluest Blue MP55697, which seems to be close
to PMS 4154C.
It's not lighting up, but doesn't have to be opaque.
It's going on the outside of the windows on a large building, full sun.
I would like at minimum 7 years, exterior vinyl.
Any suggestions?
Also, the contractor needs a warranty, the letters are 2' tall, running vertically, the top letter will be around 50' up, I'm subbing out the installation, any suggestions on what you would guarantee?

Assuming that the RGB values in Matthews Adobe Swatch File
are based on an SRGB color profile, the L*a*b* for that color
is: 22.3633, 0.3282, -31.7286.

You could use this in order to compare a vinyl you are considering with this.

I have Matthews confirming that the basis of their RGB values is SRGB, and will get back to you.

 

[Andy D]

Another thought, & I have done something similar & it worked out... I could get vinyl in a similar blue, spray it with the actual Mathews paint to that color & then plot it...

 

[Andy D]

So what type of warranty would you offer?

 

[Val47]

Andy, a warrantee on your invention would be all on you. What kind of spray paint guaranteed to work on the vinyl + the warranty on vinyl spray painted.
Interesting out of the box idea.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Another thought, & I have done something similar & it worked out... I could get vinyl in a similar blue, spray it with the actual Mathews paint to that color & then plot it...

That's pretty ghetto and would crack. It's hard enough to match paint to paint, even with the same color code and same line of paint. Get close enough and call it a day because you're not going to be able to see it on the window anyways.

 

[bteifeld]

Perhaps if you looked into printing the color on an outdoor traffic sign vinyl and using traffic sign outdoor laminate materials as a protective you could achieve the 7 year goal.

 

[bteifeld]

I heard back from Matthews paint- the person who created their swatch files
is no longer working at the company, and they cannot tell me the appropriate
color space profile for their swatch files.

 

[rjssigns]

Dark anything on glass won't work like the client expects it to. Learned this from an old time sign guy. He said: "Windows are like mirrors, they don't reflect light only dark".(let that sink in for a minute) Under certain lighting conditions that blue will disappear or be hard to read.

That little bit of wisdom has served me well for decades.