Color Matching

[cbnnyc]

Hi
I am a graphic designer working to create a logo and brand for a client. I
created a color palette in Illustrator/Photoshop and across all the Adobe
applications the colors match when I insert the correct RGB or CMYK color
values (of course). Problem is that when the client tries to recreate these
colors in Word, the colors on screen look nothing like the original corporate
color palette. I am totally stumped. I understand that colors wont
necessarily match in output to print, but I assume that they should match on
screen.
Any ideas?

Thanks
C

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi

There are several possible issues here:
1. Word doesn't know anything about CMYK. It only lives in RGB.

2. The screen itself may not have its colours well calibrated. I never cease
to be amazed at the variety of colours exhibited by different monitors,
especially old CRT monitors. (I have an old CRT monitor which is very
'blue'. The controls of the monitor itself can't help, but my video card
software can do quite a good job of adjusting the colours. Nevertheless,
it's still not even vaguely true to colour.)

3. If you're sending a jpg, the colours shouldn't change. If the user is
applying colours in Word, then I would sit by the client and check exactly
how your client is applying the colours. Is it possible that the client is
clicking on what appears to be the closest colour to the corporate palette,
rather than specifying the RGB colours? And finally, if the your colour
palette is also to apply to Excel, then don't forget that Excel (at least
before Excel 2007) does not have access to the full range of RGB colours.
You can control the colour palette in Excel on a workbook-by-workbook basis
at Tools > Options > Color.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

 

[cbnnyc]

Shauna,

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I have been inputing the RGB values
and they are almost nothing like the original colors. I will have to take
your advice to sit with my client, although when I try myself to recreate the
colors in word, it does not work.
Strange indeed.

Thanks again
C