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screen printing => Ink and Chemicals => Topic started by: rmonks on October 24, 2013, 01:03:33 PM

Title: Ink matching
Post by: rmonks on October 24, 2013, 01:03:33 PM
I have never had to mix special colors for a job, but I have a job coming up that will probably require it. I was sent the file which is showing the colors as cmyk. Can I figure a pantone color from the cmyk info in the file.????
The file came to me as EPS, I have attached a PNG file
Title: Re: Ink matching
Post by: TCT on October 24, 2013, 01:07:54 PM
Here is a converter:

http://www.ginifab.com/feeds/pms/cmyk_to_pantone.php (http://www.ginifab.com/feeds/pms/cmyk_to_pantone.php)
Title: Re: Ink matching
Post by: IntegrityShirts on October 24, 2013, 01:45:26 PM
If you have photoshop, the color picker can be linked to a pantone swatchbook of your choosing. You can eyedrop each color and it will pick the closest pantone match and give you the number.
Title: Re: Ink matching
Post by: Gilligan on October 24, 2013, 04:05:57 PM
In Illy you can also "Edit Colors" "Recolor with preset" to an X color job and then you tell it to choose from the pantone book and it will grab the closest matches.

I'm gonna take a look at that site because it sounds like it might be easier/faster depending on situation.
Title: Re: Ink matching
Post by: Gilligan on October 24, 2013, 04:15:42 PM
Hmm, just went to the site and was questioning it's abilities.

Whipped out my swatch book and put in the CMYK values for 7690C just as a random test and didn't get 7690. :(

Now that I think about it... let me test Illustrators ability with same values...

Well, that ish is WAY off as well... came up with 690, not even close.

Forget my method too!
Title: Re: Ink matching
Post by: mimosatexas on October 24, 2013, 04:19:28 PM
what integrity linked is the quickest and easiest way.  I always show the book to the client when possible though, since colors on a screen are always different looking.  Sometimes a client will even supply a pantone code, having converted something they saw digitally using a website or the above method, but when they see it in the book it looks entirely different.
Title: Re: Ink matching
Post by: ebscreen on October 24, 2013, 04:22:53 PM
Swatch book is the only way. I can count on one hand, maybe two, the number of clients we have that own Pantone books.
Title: Re: Ink matching
Post by: Frog on October 24, 2013, 04:25:05 PM
Yes, always, whenever possible, have the custy make the decision on the "closest" match.
Many process colors do not have a very close match, and it could come back to bite you. Have them see what you can mix, and reduce surprises.
Title: Re: Ink matching
Post by: mimosatexas on October 24, 2013, 04:34:48 PM
I prefer having clients pick colors off previously printed shirts honestly, as those colors are the actual colors, not a close approximation of a color on a piece of paper in a book, or even less accurate color on a monitor.