Color Reproduction & Matching

We print with state of the art large and grand format digital printers. We regularly maintain, calibrate, and test the output of our printers to achieve consistent quality output. However, this does not mean that a print will look exactly as it appears on your computer screen or that specific colors can be reproduced.

All printers and ink combinations have a finite number of individual colors they can reproduce. This is known as the color gamut. Digital printing can produce more colors (a larger gamut) than most analog printing processes (like offset printing). There is still a limit as not all colors designed into a file will be able to be reproduced. 

If the color specified in a vector file is a Pantone Matching System (PMS) spot color our RIP software color management system will interpret the color based upon the profile(s) and reproduce the color as close as possible. If the file does not specify the colors as spot colors, but instead as CMYK values then the files are printed “as is” and the printed colors are more likely to shift from expected results.

When there is a color in the file considered critical that must be reproduced to a specific standard, our printing technicians can attempt to achieve the color if a spot color is specified in your file. It becomes a trial and error process and charges will be applied based on the time and materials used to achieve the color as close as the gamut of the ink and printer allow. Slight color variations should be considered acceptable and will be defined by a delta E reading of plus or minus three to five. 

Because printers and conditions change over time, new printers replace old ones, and prints fade over time, if the same file is ordered again in the future, it is likely the print will not match exactly. There should be no expectation that a file will have no discernible visual difference when purchased multiple times over the space of months or years.

In the event a printed sample is desired, an order may be placed at the standard square foot price.