A colour looks bright on a designer's screen, darker on paper and different again from another supplier. Asking production to match a phone display rarely creates a dependable reference.
Screens emit light; ordinary printing reflects light through ink and paper. Their colour ranges differ, and material, ink, process, lighting and equipment settings affect the result. Guidelines should distinguish screen values, printing conditions and approval samples. Check important carriers through proofs rather than treating one colour code as a guarantee for every material.
What a colour code establishes
Hexadecimal and RGB values describe screen settings. A print file may use CMYK or a spot colour, but automatically converting RGB to CMYK establishes only a file-level conversion. It does not identify the paper or process on which those values will appear.
For colour-sensitive work, agree output conditions with production, including colour profile, paper, surface treatment and any spot-colour choice. Spot colours still need checking on actual materials. A swatch-book appearance does not establish the finished result on metal, plastic or fabric.
Guidelines may retain reference values for different conditions, with their intended uses. Many numbers without a distinction between web, ordinary print and special materials still leave users guessing.
Define the colour's role before its use conditions
Explain whether the colour is a large background, small accent, part of the logo or feedback indicator. Its area and surrounding background can change the overall relationship even when the numerical value stays the same.
A poster filled with a colour intended only as an accent may depart from the identity without using the wrong code. Include allowed combinations, backgrounds and examples rather than checking the number alone.
Check text readability separately. A colour suitable for a large block is not automatically suitable for small text on white. Check contrast on different screen backgrounds and do not communicate essential information through colour alone. Print also needs type size, paper and viewing distance considered together.
Retain physical samples that can be compared
For important packaging, long-term brochures and store material, approve samples before volume production. Compare them under reasonably consistent lighting and viewing conditions, first reducing interference from warm light, display brightness and automatic photographic processing.
After an acceptable result is confirmed, retain the sample or a dependable production reference. Record material, process, version and approval date. Photographs help communication but cannot alone replace colour approval: cameras, image processing and the recipient's display introduce further changes.
If instruments are used, project participants and production should agree measurement conditions and tolerances for the actual use. Do not copy one online threshold and apply it to every material. Production consistency requires limits with relevant conditions and a basis.
Add these fields to the proof record
Use the following fields to check conditions together. They do not replace the production supplier's technical requirements.
| Field | Information to retain |
|---|---|
| Colour and position | Colour version and whether it appears in the logo, text or a large background |
| Material and surface | Exact paper or substrate, lamination, varnish or other treatment |
| Output conditions | File version, colour profile and printing method, checked by production |
| Comparison basis | Physical sample identifier and viewing light; swatches are references under their own conditions |
| Current conclusion | Accepted items, items to remake and whether approval applies only to this material |
| Approval and storage | Approver, date and retained sample location |
In a hypothetical task, a business first approves white-card packaging and then adds an uncoated-paper tag. If the tag appears darker, compare a sample for that material. Any approved adjustment belongs to the tag version; the packaging keeps its approved value. Fixing one tag should not overwrite the entire brand colour definition.
ZHAMORE's own visual source table distinguishes digital colour and production references. Its yellow-green digital value is #B3C224; printing conversions and a nearby spot-colour reference are recorded separately, with material-specific matching and signed samples still required. An uncompleted physical proof is not described as passed. Client projects retain their own colours and samples rather than using ZHAMORE's formula.
Find the cause before changing the file
Follow four areas: file, output, material and observation. First check that both parties use the same file and colour definition. Then inspect output settings, paper and surface processes, and finally viewing conditions.
If the file and paper are unchanged but the batch is darker than the signed sample, check whether output and surface treatment match the previous run. Editing the design immediately can leave the production cause unresolved and produce a different variation next time. Locate the changed condition before choosing a file adjustment, production correction or new approval.
Prepare a real reference before the next proof
Take an existing item closest to the intended use, identify material, process and the comparable physical sample, and complete the record with design and production. Without a physical baseline, state that only a colour reference exists and arrange an initial matching round. Repeated phone photographs do not replace confirmation.
