“Can you make this more blue?” “I saw this nice purple on a shirt, can you make this part of the logo that color?” “My company’s colors are orange and blue, let’s do that.”

All of these requests are fairly common in the graphics world, unfortunately, not very effective when trying to communicate color in the business world.

Because everyone’s eyes are slightly different and everyone experiences color a little differently, not to mention the numerous factors that can influence how an individual perceives color (ambient light, mood - yes, mood, blood sugar, medication, adjacent color… the list goes on), making something “more blue” to me may look completely different (like purple) to you. In the business world, this can be disasterous.

Many businesses have a specific color they want used for their logo. A good designer will work with a company to set color standards for their branding piece. Part of the reason for this is to prevent consumer confusion. If Company A advertises in 30 different publications, has all types of signage, printed marketing collateral, promotional products, etc. without specifying exact colors, it’s entirely possible that the logo will appear in an endless number of different shades of the color that the logo is supposed to be. This can confuse potential customers; Are there two companies with the same name? Is this ad from the same store I was just in? Is there a Company B that is trying to copy the look of Company A? Leading to the ultimate conclusion: “I’m not too sure about Company A, I’m going to buy from their competitor instead.”

Not good.

The advertising dollars you spent on establishing a brand can easily be as good as wasted if you’re not protecting and extending your brand. This includes not only the physical characteristics of your logo, but also how its colors are reproduced as well. Luckily, there’s a solution to make sure you get the exact colors you’re expecting.

The Pantone Matching System is the universal guide to communicating color. Every marketer should be aware of what PMS colors are used in their company’s brand. This system relies on pigmented inks being identified as numbers so that designers and service bureaus are speaking about the same colors.

The crucial link in this system are the swatch books manufactured by the company. Each book is printed with the various inks available and printed colored swatch has a corresponding number associated with it. There are more than 1,100 available inks to choose from, which without a matching system would make for a nightmare for designers to keep colors consistant.

To acheive expected results when reproducing color, it’s imperative that your designer consult with you during the branding process and choose the exact colors for your business’ logo or marketing pieces. During this process, you should ask to see a swatch book and pick out the colors that appeal to you or specify the exact colors that your company requires. This way, when you have your collateral produced, you’ll get the exact colors you’re expecting instead of something close…

Pantone swatchbooks are an essential tool to have in your arsenal. They can be ordered direct from Pantone and generally run about $120 for a three book set. www.pantone.com. Always specify PMS colors for any project that is color critical (and when it comes to your brand, they all are!)

If you have additional questions about how to effectively communicate color, or have a few projects you’d like to discuss, contact me.