Dancing around a 3M color

Hi all,
Has anyone been able to successfully match (or close) to 3M vinyl colors with a solvent ink? Specifically, the gold reflective. I know reflective has it's own issues with white points and all, but I'm trying for my own edification to get as close as I can to this particular gold. Yes, I can use the roll vinyl, in this particular instance the gold is part of a 3 color stripe, and I'd rather not layer the 4 colors of reflective if I can avoid it. I'm attempting to match an existing vehicle with a printed stripe - and I think it was printed with a foil, not an inkjet.. but even with a foil I can't figure how they got the correct color - unless 3M provides specific foils for various machines.

Anyone?

Rick

 

Well, that's the point of the exercise - print on white reflective to obtain a standard reflective color. I've been "trial and error-ing" all afternoon and can't even get something close.. blue, red and greens are somewhat easy.. the golds are the pain in the a$$!

 

Excellent... I'll give that a test over the weekend. Thanks, Joe!

Oh.. and I do use Flexi, albeit a very, very old version.. my 3M palette doesn't even include reflective. But the FDC section does.. I'll have to play with that. Just never though about looking through those swatch sections - my colors rarely match what is there.

 

Yep, it's a Pierce stripe I'm trying to duplicate. The blue isn't an issue, it's that weird gold. There isn't even a decent PMS match to start from. I don't think it may be possible with a solvent machine; the pre-loaded profiles for FDC's gold wasn't even close. But then, I've never really properly profiled my machine, either. Once I hit a color through trial and error I add that to the swatch tablet..

 

Well... when it's a fire department that has to have consistency, you have to do what you can to the best of your abilities. I've been very fortunate to find alternatives to some problems that turned out better than the originals - and those departments are now valued clients.

 

The right way? Which way is that, Joe? Matching the printed stripe as they have on their other vehicles, or since I can't do that, layer the three colors that are in the stripe with the appropriate colors (which I am doing)? I've let the department know that I cannot match what they have exactly with a printed version, so they are ok with a layered stripe. I'd just rather, if I can, find a way to print and emulate the look of the existing vehicles. Since I can't (at the moment), they'll have to settle for another method. I don't like to have my customers "settle" for anything - in this case there is no choice.