I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Davidm wrote:

the way a colour is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way
it appears when they print the cards.

Find someone who sells powder-coated items (e.g. radiators, garage
doors, aluminium windows) and pick a pantone colour from one of their
sample charts, specify that as the spot colour to your printers.

On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:24:11 +0100, Davidm wrote:

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other than
printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting that to
them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field codes,
I just supply and Excel file with the data).

http://www.pantone.com/




--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 29-Jul-16 9:24 AM, Davidm wrote:
I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

For consistency in printing, you need to specify a Pantone colour:

http://www.pantone-colours.com/

However, as it says there, the on screen colours are only a guide. For
accurate matching, you need to have a colour set:

http://www.pantone-colours.com/http:.../graphics.html


--
--

Colin Bignell

On 29-Jul-16 9:39 AM, Andy Burns wrote:
Davidm wrote:

the way a colour is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way
it appears when they print the cards.

Find someone who sells powder-coated items (e.g. radiators, garage
doors, aluminium windows) and pick a pantone colour from one of their
sample charts, specify that as the spot colour to your printers.

The powder coaters I know use RAL colours.

--
--

Colin Bignell

Nightjar wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

Find someone who sells powder-coated items (e.g. radiators, garage
doors, aluminium windows) and pick a pantone colour from one of their
sample charts, specify that as the spot colour to your printers.

The powder coaters I know use RAL colours.

You're right, I couldn't find the swatch card I was given, but have dug
it out now and they are RAL, will any printers take RAL instead of
Pantone? There are some websites that offer Pantone/RAL/BS colour
"conversion"

On 29/07/16 09:24, Davidm wrote:
I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).



Pantone

But don't rely on your monitor to render it correctly

Used to be swatches of pantone colors. Maybe your printer has one




--
Karl Marx said religion is the opium of the people.
But Marxism is the crack cocaine.

On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:41:31 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 29-Jul-16 9:24 AM, Davidm wrote:
I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

For consistency in printing, you need to specify a Pantone colour:

http://www.pantone-colours.com/

However, as it says there, the on screen colours are only a guide. For
accurate matching, you need to have a colour set:

http://www.pantone-colours.com/http:.../graphics.html

Just this bit then: http://store.pantone.com/uk/en/graphics.html
Bloody 'ell, they're expensive!
I think just referencing their colour code will be close enough.
Thanks.

Davidm wrote:

http://store.pantone.com/uk/en/graphics.html
Bloody 'ell, they're expensive!
I think just referencing their colour code will be close enough.

But then you're back to how pantone colours look on your monitor v.s.
how the printing company's ink will look on paper

On 29/07/2016 09:24, Davidm wrote:
I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Unless you are dead set on choosing a precise colour you could just go
to a decorating centre and pick one of their BS 4800 colours which all
have Pantone codes. Of course their colour cards aren't as good as the
swatches you buy but it's a cheap option




--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On 29/07/2016 10:32, Andy Burns wrote:
Davidm wrote:

http://store.pantone.com/uk/en/graphics.html
Bloody 'ell, they're expensive!
I think just referencing their colour code will be close enough.

But then you're back to how pantone colours look on your monitor v.s.
how the printing company's ink will look on paper


And for accuracy you need the right Pantone swatches...

Possibly you could improvise by getting a swatch from a paint shop (any
make) - if you can find one that looks right. Or an existing card that
happened to be right. Or the colour specification used when the design
was first done. Ideally the swatch would have all the maker's details
printed on it but, even failing that, any decent print shop would have a
photospectrometer.

--
Rod

On 29-Jul-16 10:28 AM, Davidm wrote:
On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:41:31 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 29-Jul-16 9:24 AM, Davidm wrote:
I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

For consistency in printing, you need to specify a Pantone colour:

http://www.pantone-colours.com/

However, as it says there, the on screen colours are only a guide. For
accurate matching, you need to have a colour set:

http://www.pantone-colours.com/http:.../graphics.html

Just this bit then: http://store.pantone.com/uk/en/graphics.html
Bloody 'ell, they're expensive!
I think just referencing their colour code will be close enough.
Thanks.


If you have a printers you can visit, they will normally allow you to
look at their swatch card and choose the colours you want.

--
--

Colin Bignell

On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 10:43:26 +0100, Robin wrote:

On 29/07/2016 09:24, Davidm wrote:
I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Unless you are dead set on choosing a precise colour you could just go
to a decorating centre and pick one of their BS 4800 colours which all
have Pantone codes. Of course their colour cards aren't as good as the
swatches you buy but it's a cheap option
That's a good idea, thanks.
I'm not looking for precision, just something that's gives a bit more
definition than simply saying "light blue" (for example).

Thanks for all responses.

I've heard from others that in the end a sample of the existing item is the
only way it can be done reliably, assuming the man or woman is not colour
blind of course. The problem is trying to relate a colour on a screen which
is an illuminated device, with a card which is just a reflective device.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Davidm" wrote in message
...
I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

On 29-Jul-16 10:49 AM, polygonum wrote:
On 29/07/2016 10:32, Andy Burns wrote:
Davidm wrote:

http://store.pantone.com/uk/en/graphics.html
Bloody 'ell, they're expensive!
I think just referencing their colour code will be close enough.

But then you're back to how pantone colours look on your monitor v.s.
how the printing company's ink will look on paper


And for accuracy you need the right Pantone swatches...

Possibly you could improvise by getting a swatch from a paint shop (any
make) - if you can find one that looks right. Or an existing card that
happened to be right. Or the colour specification used when the design
was first done. Ideally the swatch would have all the maker's details
printed on it but, even failing that, any decent print shop would have a
photospectrometer.


ISTR that art shops used to sell sheets of paper in single Pantone
colours. A browse through those might find the colours wanted.

--
--

Colin Bignell

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
I've heard from others that in the end a sample of the existing item is
the only way it can be done reliably, assuming the man or woman is not
colour blind of course. The problem is trying to relate a colour on a
screen which is an illuminated device, with a card which is just a
reflective device.
Brian

I believe that Pantone is the system used for defining colours in the
printing trade. The difficulty is how the customer identifies the Pantone
parameters which match the colour that he wants...

If you specify the RGB (emissive) values of a colour, that ought to be
enough for a printer to work out what Pantone values to use for the
(reflective) printing process.

On Friday, 29 July 2016 09:24:16 UTC+1, Davidm wrote:
I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

http://www.colorpicker.com/

I faced a problem with color reporting , That happened because my computer monitor had some issues with color correction. If we are suing a digital medium we will face such issues. Use industrial color codes to avoid such situations

On 30/07/16 09:01, superman123 wrote:
I faced a problem with color reporting , That happened because my
computer monitor had some issues with color correction. If we are suing
a digital medium we will face such issues. Use industrial color codes to
avoid such situations

This is of course a huge problem that anyone who goes from
computer-print has to face.

And opens a whole can of worms.

In bright sunlight my house looked green, At dusk it was clearly a
creamy yellow. The paint was called 'sea silver'

Even a test print on an industrial laser printer won't guarantee the
right colours if you then move to 4 colour ink printing, and nor will
two people see the same colour in the same way. Remember That Dress?

Worse, using RGB to approximate the spectral density of a single pigment
doesn't work either.


The short answer is there is no answer. Colour reproduction is always an
approximation. But some approximations are better than others

All you can do is try out varuious approaches to see which one works
best. Pantone is a fairly reliable one if the printer uses inks and uses
a pantone ink to spread a background.

If you are into 4 color CYMK printing all bets are off. If the printer
is co-operative ask him to print a range around the desired one on the
laser, and see which one is closest.


I have used Corel Draw or the GIMP to prepare RGB or CYMK test prints to
see what my color laser actually produces in order to match its output
to a desired logo color.

Of course that's my laser only




--
The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: Abolish all
private property.

Karl Marx

On 7/29/2016 9:24 AM, Davidm wrote:
I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used.

Whenever I need something manufactured in a specific colour I quote the
RAL code
The equivalent for printing is the Pantone colour

You can get sets of swatches that shows the colours .........
unfortunately looking at them on a monitor is not the answer unless you
have a calibrated monitor

On Saturday, 30 July 2016 11:32:45 UTC+1, rick wrote:
On 7/29/2016 9:24 AM, Davidm wrote:

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used.

Whenever I need something manufactured in a specific colour I quote the
RAL code
The equivalent for printing is the Pantone colour

You can get sets of swatches that shows the colours .........
unfortunately looking at them on a monitor is not the answer unless you
have a calibrated monitor

Even if you do it doesn't give exact matching.


NT

"Davidm" wrote in message
...

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Not a solution to your dilemma, but this will highlight the difficulty of
the task:
http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

Richard wrote:

Not a solution to your dilemma, but this will highlight the difficulty of
the task:
http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

When I did that a couple of years ago I got a perfect score, I did take
quite a while before I was happy to hit the "score" button though ...

"Andy Burns" wrote in message ...

Richard wrote:

Not a solution to your dilemma, but this will highlight the difficulty of
the task:
http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

When I did that a couple of years ago I got a perfect score, I did take
quite a while before I was happy to hit the "score" button though ...

I took a while, but only managed a score of 30

On 30/07/2016 20:39, Richard wrote:
"Andy Burns" wrote in message ...

Richard wrote:

Not a solution to your dilemma, but this will highlight the
difficulty of
the task:
http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

When I did that a couple of years ago I got a perfect score, I did
take quite a while before I was happy to hit the "score" button though
...

I took a while, but only managed a score of 30

32 - I do wonder how much difference the quality of the screen makes.

On 30/07/2016 20:51, Fredxxx wrote:
On 30/07/2016 20:39, Richard wrote:
"Andy Burns" wrote in message ...

Richard wrote:

Not a solution to your dilemma, but this will highlight the
difficulty of
the task:
http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

When I did that a couple of years ago I got a perfect score, I did
take quite a while before I was happy to hit the "score" button though
...

I took a while, but only managed a score of 30

32 - I do wonder how much difference the quality of the screen makes.

Right, did it again and got 0, this time spent some time rechecking and
making full screen. Was convinced that there was a sequence of 3 colours
on top row that were not smoothly changing.

In message , Richard
writes
"Andy Burns" wrote in message ...

Richard wrote:

Not a solution to your dilemma, but this will highlight the difficulty of
the task:
http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

When I did that a couple of years ago I got a perfect score, I did
take quite a while before I was happy to hit the "score" button though


I took a while, but only managed a score of 30

I got 8. Best score for my age range is 2!


--
Tim Lamb

Fredxxx wrote:

http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

did it again and got 0, this time spent some time rechecking and
making full screen. Was convinced that there was a sequence of 3 colours
on top row that were not smoothly changing.

That could be possible if your screen has only 6bpp, rather than 8bpp

Fredxxx wrote:
On 30/07/2016 20:39, Richard wrote:
"Andy Burns" wrote in message ...

Richard wrote:

Not a solution to your dilemma, but this will highlight the
difficulty of
the task:
http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

When I did that a couple of years ago I got a perfect score, I did
take quite a while before I was happy to hit the "score" button though
...

I took a while, but only managed a score of 30

32 - I do wonder how much difference the quality of the screen makes.

8, after running out of patience - the errors being in a 7-wide clump
#
####### in the blue-green area.


--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:24:11 +0100, Davidm wrote:

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Can you not buy colour cards to stick next to your screen so you can adjust your monitor to be accurate? Every monitor I've seen you can change brightness, contrast, and R G and B individually, and often other stuff too.

--
A statistician took a standard deviation from his normal way home because the mean of the population was after him.

On Sat, 30 Jul 2016 21:26:32 +0100
Andy Burns wrote:

Fredxxx wrote:

http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

did it again and got 0, this time spent some time rechecking and
making full screen. Was convinced that there was a sequence of 3
colours on top row that were not smoothly changing.

That could be possible if your screen has only 6bpp, rather than 8bpp



I got 15, although I didn't spend a lot of time. I'm in the 60-65 age
range. I'm using a laptop, which might not be the best.

--
Davey.

On 30/07/2016 22:58, James Wilkinson wrote:
On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:24:11 +0100, Davidm
wrote:

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Can you not buy colour cards to stick next to your screen so you can
adjust your monitor to be accurate? Every monitor I've seen you can
change brightness, contrast, and R G and B individually, and often other
stuff too.

You must have been going around with your eyes closed. Many, many
monitors have no means for adjusting RGB at all - or only with a very
simplistic preset profile. Getting monitors with properly, independently
adjustable RGB used to raise the prices very substantially.

(Of course, the computer to which the monitor is attached might have
various options for adjustments.)

--
Rod

On 31/07/16 10:38, polygonum wrote:
On 30/07/2016 22:58, James Wilkinson wrote:
On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:24:11 +0100, Davidm
wrote:

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Can you not buy colour cards to stick next to your screen so you can
adjust your monitor to be accurate? Every monitor I've seen you can
change brightness, contrast, and R G and B individually, and often other
stuff too.

You must have been going around with your eyes closed. Many, many
monitors have no means for adjusting RGB at all - or only with a very
simplistic preset profile. Getting monitors with properly, independently
adjustable RGB used to raise the prices very substantially.


back in the days if CRTs yes. Not seen an LCD monitor that cant do that
though.

(Of course, the computer to which the monitor is attached might have
various options for adjustments.)


Well, exactly.


--
How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think.

Adolf Hitler

On 31/07/2016 10:43, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
back in the days if CRTs yes. Not seen an LCD monitor that cant do that
though.

I was responding to the claim starting "Every monitor..." which would
obviously include CRTs.

I have seen a number - having owned two that had no such adjustment.
Admittedly, one was a very early LCD, and the other was a distress
purchase cheapie. In the context, I think we might also have to include
laptops and tablets...

--
Rod

On Sun, 31 Jul 2016 10:43:00 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 31/07/16 10:38, polygonum wrote:
On 30/07/2016 22:58, James Wilkinson wrote:
On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:24:11 +0100, Davidm
wrote:

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Can you not buy colour cards to stick next to your screen so you can
adjust your monitor to be accurate? Every monitor I've seen you can
change brightness, contrast, and R G and B individually, and often other
stuff too.

You must have been going around with your eyes closed. Many, many
monitors have no means for adjusting RGB at all - or only with a very
simplistic preset profile. Getting monitors with properly, independently
adjustable RGB used to raise the prices very substantially.

back in the days if CRTs yes. Not seen an LCD monitor that cant do that
though.

I've not seen a CRT that can't either, but then I don't buy cheap ****.

(Of course, the computer to which the monitor is attached might have
various options for adjustments.)

Well, exactly.

--
Space is an illusion, disk space doubly so.

"James Wilkinson" wrote in message news


I've not seen a CRT that can't either, but then I don't buy cheap ****.

No, you just talk it.

On Sun, 31 Jul 2016 15:35:41 +0100, Richard wrote:

"James Wilkinson" wrote in message news


I've not seen a CRT that can't either, but then I don't buy cheap ****.

No, you just talk it.

A CRT that won't do 90Hz was never purchased.

--
A worried father confronted his daughter one night.
"I don't like that new boyfriend, he's rough and common and bloody stupid with it."
"Oh no, Daddy," the daughter replied, "Fred's ever so clever, we've only been going out nine weeks and he's cured me of that illness I used to get once a month."

"James Wilkinson" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:24:11 +0100, Davidm
wrote:

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Can you not buy colour cards to stick next to your screen so you can
adjust your monitor to be accurate? Every monitor I've seen you can
change brightness, contrast, and R G and B individually, and often other
stuff too.

Another factor is the ambient lighting when looking at cards, especially in
these days of so many lamp types, and daylight conditions. Then there is the
unknown spectral reflectivity of the cards.
--
Dave W

On Mon, 01 Aug 2016 17:20:13 +0100, Dave W wrote:


"James Wilkinson" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:24:11 +0100, Davidm
wrote:

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Can you not buy colour cards to stick next to your screen so you can
adjust your monitor to be accurate? Every monitor I've seen you can
change brightness, contrast, and R G and B individually, and often other
stuff too.

Another factor is the ambient lighting when looking at cards, especially in
these days of so many lamp types, and daylight conditions.

I assume you are supposed to use a standard lamp of some kind? Anyway, even without that I'm sure it would correct the monitor a hell of a lot.

Then there is the unknown spectral reflectivity of the cards.

Errrrr, the people that made them must know that.

--
Paddy calls Easyjet to book a flight.
The operator asks "How many people are flying with you?"
Paddy replies "I don't know! Its your flipping plane!"

On 01/08/2016 19:13, James Wilkinson wrote:
On Mon, 01 Aug 2016 17:20:13 +0100, Dave W wrote:


"James Wilkinson" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:24:11 +0100, Davidm
wrote:

I'm about to get a thousand or so membership cards printed by a
commercial print shop and want to be able to specify the background
colour to be used. Just emailing a sample template with the colour I
want has proved to be a bit hit and miss in the past, the way a colour
is displayed on my monitor isn't necessarily the way it appears when
they print the cards.

Is there a more definitive way of achieving this (eg. giving an RGB or
CMYK reference, or referencing some standard of a web site), other
than printing off a sample that shows what I want and then posting
that to them?

(they have a template of the card layout and contents - as field
codes, I just supply and Excel file with the data).

Can you not buy colour cards to stick next to your screen so you can
adjust your monitor to be accurate? Every monitor I've seen you can
change brightness, contrast, and R G and B individually, and often other
stuff too.

Another factor is the ambient lighting when looking at cards,
especially in
these days of so many lamp types, and daylight conditions.

I assume you are supposed to use a standard lamp of some kind? Anyway,
even without that I'm sure it would correct the monitor a hell of a lot.

Then there is the unknown spectral reflectivity of the cards.

Errrrr, the people that made them must know that.

The special monitors we have at work have a little arm with a sensor
that checks the colour.

Andy