DO NOT ENTER: The Very Scary World of Color

It was just last month that I made this honest confession to a friend, client and faithful reader of this blog (Hi Sharon!):
 
I have recurring packaging nightmares!
 

Wow!  I need to pause for a moment and express some real gratitude.  With so much pain in the world, I guess I'm pretty blessed to be kept up nights by such menial matters.
 
Anyways, the bad dreams are usually about the very dangerous world of color (thank you to Sandra from Harrah's Casino who forced me to face my fears by suggesting "Dangerous" as the subject for this month's letter).
 
You see, when one person says, "I want a purple shopping bag" it may be an entirely different purple than another person would envision.
 
Lawrence Herbert, the founder of Pantone, created an innovative system of identifying, matching and communicating colors to solve the problems associated with producing accurate color matches in the graphic arts community. His insight that the spectrum is seen and interpreted differently by each individual led to the innovation of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM®.  The PANTONE® name is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer.
 
While a great debt is owed to Mr. Herbert, the well known Pantone System does not address every dangerous color hazard.
 
Here are five major pitfalls:
 
1.  With so much information exchanged electronically, it must be fully understood that Pantone colors displayed on a computer screen do not reflect with 100% accuracy just how a color will appear when printed.
 
2.  Graphic artists often create art using the CYMK color model.  In the packaging world it is usually considerably less expensive to print using spot Pantone colors.  Converting CMYK to Pantone color is an inexact and subjective science at best.
 
3.  In the packaging world ink is applied to all kinds of different surfaces (Kraft Paper, White Kraft Paper, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, etc).  A Pantone color printed on one surface will absolutely appear different when it is printed on another surface.  
 
4.  When a Pantone color is printed upon a colored surface, the Pantone color, in many cases, will take on some of that surface's color.
 
5.  Color is just so darn personal!!!
 
There is a process in the packaging world which helps to overcome all of these dangers.  The process is generally referred to as either an "ink roll out" or an "ink draw down."  
 
The factory takes CMYK art or a sample of something that rightly represents the desired colors and mixes inks in attempt to match the colors.  This mixed inks are then applied to a swatch of the surface on which the inks would be printed during the final production of the gift box or take out bag.  This swatch is put in the shop owner's hands.  At that time the buyer can say, "Yes!  That's the color I want" or "No!  The color has to be changed."
 
Specialty Box & Packaging and our factory partners will work with you until it's exactly right.  The "ink draw down" or "ink roll out" does add time to the process.  However, spectacular packaging is an investment and it is best to get it right the first time.  After you get it right you won't have to worry about matching colors ever again.
 
Unless of course, you are me. =(
 
I'm definitely going to have bad dreams tonight. ;)