Why is it that certain ink colors never seem to match the Pantone® book nor the previously mixed batch no matter how careful we weigh and mix the colors?
A.: A color match consists of two different but related challenges. The first one is that the actual ink must match a previous batch. We evaluate this by putting a drop of each side-by-side on a piece of uncoated paper then drawing them both down with an ink knife. By holding the sheet up to the light, any slight variations can be detected. The other challenge is the fact that presses print differently on different days. Add to that any concern about the job having been printed on another press last time, or the rollers were newer or older last time, and you can see that the variables are piling up rather quickly. Sheetfed printing ink also has a tendency to yellow over time, so tans and grays become another problem. Now, let s go back to the actual printing of the Color Book. I know that every job I have ever run had some color variation, so how about your formula book? It certainly has some variations; compare two books if a question arises. Some of the formulas may be flawed as well
