Guidance on colours for logo (print and online)

Report · Aug 10, 2017

Hi all,

Please excuse my complete lack of understanding in this area. I have read many articles around this question but am still a little confused.... I am a first year degree student in interior design. I am currently designing a logo and business card which I hope to use for my end of term exhibition. I will be designing this using InDesign. I would also like to use the same colours to create my website and for other digital documents that I will submit as PDF's. I would like to ensure that I use the same colours throughout. I would like to see the colour in print first and would like to buy a guide on this. I have looked at Pantone colour 'fans' but wondered whether there was an alternative with CMYK colours?

1. Should I design the initial logo in RGB or CMYK?

2. Should the business card be designed with RGB or CMYK or Pantone?

3. How can I use the same colours from the business card to transfer across to other documents, i.e. create a palette of colours for my brand (there will only be 3 plus black but I would like to ensure that these are as closely matched as possible).

4. How can I use the same colours for my website (this will only be designed using the squarespace platform as I also have no website design knowledge

Thanks in advance for your help. I will continue to try and decipher some of your other responses. It's all really interesting but I am certainly finding that "the more I learn, the less I know"!!

Kerry

Report · Aug 10, 2017

What you want to avoid is gamut limitations in any given medium. You want to make sure your colors are reproducible in all scenarios.

So I'd design the logo in CMYK, which is likely the smallest space you'll encounter.

Note that there's no such thing as "generic" CMYK, only a range of CMYK profiles that each correspond to a certain press/paper/ink standard. Standards vary around the world, so ask around what's commonly used in your area. Here in Europe that would be ISO Coated v2 300% (eci), or PSO Uncoated ISO 12647, for coated and uncoated papers respectively. You can convert between these two, but again start with the smallest gamut one (uncoated).

For web use sRGB. You're obviously at the mercy of people's individual setups, but that's not your problem (it's theirs). With a properly calibrated and profiled display, and a color managed web browser, you will see the correct color.

Even if your colors fit within, say, PSO uncoated, double-check by converting to sRGB and make sure there's no clipping.

When you have your colors, note down the Lab values. This is an absolute color reference, valid everywhere.

Report · Aug 10, 2017

There are alternatives to Pantone and you will find them in Illustrator's Window > Swatch Libraries ( you will see Toyo, Trumatch, etc. ). However, Pantone represents an industry standard of sorts and gives you a lot of options, especially when developing CMYK equivalents to their Spot Color Libraries. Let me try to assist...

1. Should I design the initial logo in RGB or CMYK?

-Actually, you'd want to start out using Spot color in your brand identity, but it really comes down to how the logo will be printed.

2. Should the business card be designed with RGB or CMYK or Pantone?

-Again, that depends on the print vendor, but in most cases, business stationery is printed using Spot Color.

3. How can I use the same colours from the business card to transfer across to other documents, i.e. create a palette of colours for my brand (there will only be 3 plus black but I would like to ensure that these are as closely matched as possible).

- That may not be possible. You have to have an expectation that color will shift somewhere in the matrix.

4. How can I use the same colours for my website (this will only be designed using the squarespace platform as I also have no website design knowledge

- Pantone has hex values for their libraries. When you buy a color guide, they offer their "Color Manager" software for free. In CM, you can make a good palette that may hold up across all media. For web CSS, I believe you can set the color ( HEX ). Most web platforms allow you to set the color. It comes down to establishing a brand of 3 spot colors + Black; get a Pantone Guide book and their Color Manager before you attempt to build your branding. It will require a little study on your part, but I think you are on the right track.

Report · Aug 10, 2017

An amendment...

3. How can I use the same colours from the business card to transfer across to other documents, i.e. create a palette of colours for my brand (there will only be 3 plus black but I would like to ensure that these are as closely matched as possible).

- The use of spot color ensures consistency to other documents. But, when you reach a Word document, you are better using a CMYK version of the logo. Otherwise, build your business card, envelope, and letterhead in Illustrator using spot color. The PDFs depend on the output device.

Report · Aug 23, 2017

Hi Kerry,

I'd say D Fosse has answered your question well.

That’s a good explanation

neil barstow, colourmanagement