Color Match

[KGraphics]

Hello,

I am working with a customer wanting to match the color of their vehicle the best that they can with a reflective medium for lettering so it shows up at night but not as obviously during the day. The color code I was given was 618G. I tried to find a matching pantone but it looks to be more gray than navy in my searches, so wondering if anyone here would have a CMYK coloring or a RGB coloring I could use to print this in?

 

[myront]

Google search says that code is a GM Paint code for "Dark Ash". I'd set up several color swatches using various shades of gray. Only need about a 3" square. Customer would then have to bring in the vehicle for a color match. Of course this gets charged to the customer too.

 

[P Wagner]

Accurately reproducing any color of automotive paint with any wide-format printer is virtually impossible, for a host of reasons. Printing to clear films can help in certain cases, allowing the paint color to be seen through the film, and inking areas that contrast with the paint color. Opaque white ink using Underflood printing helps printed colors pop off non-white color automotive paint.

 

[KGraphics]

Google search says that code is a GM Paint code for "Dark Ash". I'd set up several color swatches using various shades of gray. Only need about a 3" square. Customer would then have to bring in the vehicle for a color match. Of course this gets charged to the customer too.

Unfortunately the vehicle is navy, so I am now questioning if he got the code incorrect..

 

[DL Signs]

When I do stealth reflective I print some decent sized color swatches on reflective that are in the color range, laminate so they'll have the final finish, stick em' around on the vehicle, let the customer check them in different light settings, and have them select what's closest to the desired effect. You need to print your sample patches on reflective too, because there will be both a color and visual difference if you use std vinyl. I grew up in a body shop, and we stocked over 80 different bases and tints just to hit just the basic common car colors. Using just CMYK you'll be lucky to get close, but that's all you can do with this kind of stuff, and all you need to do.

With the time you'll put into it, and the cost of reflective for color samples, plus laminating just to come up with something that'll work, you'll probably want to charge them for this like myront says. Color samples becomes a line item even with law enforcement vehicles, other than straight black or white, or colors on file for them.

Speaking of law enforcement... Just make sure any design/ striping/ lettering of any stealth style reflective vinyl you put on a vehicle doesn't remotely resemble, or could get confused with what law enforcement uses, people think it's fun to do with company vehicles, but they really frown on that in most jurisdictions. We had a pizza place that skirted that line with their delivery cars, didn't end well (or cheap). They came to me first because I did them, I knew where it would end up, even warned them when I said nope, not me.

 

[ikarasu]

As others have said, the only way to do it is print swatches.

You'll come close, but not perfect on reflective.... Especially depending on the shade of the color. You can print a blue and depending on which angle you look at it, it'll go lighter or darker. And reflective has a grey / silver tinge to it... It's not like printing on white.

Even if you got the color code correct and matched to a pantone perfectly, I wouldn't print anything until the vehicle is in and you've approved the color in the shade as well as sun with the customer.


We had a customer want certain parts reflective.... We printed on reflective and white, it looked perfect indoors, but as soon as the sun shined on it, it was a completely different color. Of course we sent them a sample and pointed out it changes in light and to look both in and outdoors.... In the shade and out of the shade before approving... But they just looked indoors, saw it was a perfect match and said to proceed.

 

[KGraphics]

When I do stealth reflective I print some decent sized color swatches on reflective that are in the color range, laminate so they'll have the final finish, stick em' around on the vehicle, let the customer check them in different light settings, and have them select what's closest to the desired effect. You need to print your sample patches on reflective too, because there will be both a color and visual difference if you use std vinyl. I grew up in a body shop, and we stocked over 80 different bases and tints just to hit just the basic common car colors. Using just CMYK you'll be lucky to get close, but that's all you can do with this kind of stuff, and all you need to do.

With the time you'll put into it, and the cost of reflective for color samples, plus laminating just to come up with something that'll work, you'll probably want to charge them for this like myront says. Color samples becomes a line item even with law enforcement vehicles, other than straight black or white, or colors on file for them.

Speaking of law enforcement... Just make sure any design/ striping/ lettering of any stealth style reflective vinyl you put on a vehicle doesn't remotely resemble, or could get confused with what law enforcement uses, people think it's fun to do with company vehicles, but they really frown on that in most jurisdictions. We had a pizza place that skirted that line with their delivery cars, didn't end well (or cheap). They came to me first because I did them, I knew where it would end up, even warned them when I said nope, not me.

It's actually for an EMS vehicle, but thanks for that! I have samples printed to bring over today to check