No matter the industry, consistency and exacting data are essential to every color quality control program. Whether you’re communicating color, making color decisions, or conducting diagnostics testing based on color, you can rely on Munsell Color standards.
These honey, syrup, and molasses standards help the USDA determine which products pass inspection.
Along with its huge library of color standards, Munsell Color can also produce custom physical standards to help you validate your specific colors and processes. Custom Munsell Color standards allow you to specify the color you want, plus determine the correct appearance aspects for reproduction, including texture, gloss, fluorescence, and special effects.
Today we’ll look at all of the custom color standards options that Munsell offers.
Custom Color Standards
Stable, reproducible Munsell color standards can be presented to suppliers or anyone else who needs to match your colors. Simply provide a physical sample or numeric color reference, such as a Munsell HV/C notation or a spectrophotometric measurement, and Munsell will match the color and gloss and provide a proof for your approval. Color standards can be produced to match a variety of color and appearance characteristics including opaque, translucent, transparent, fluorescent, textured, pearlescent, and metallic. Custom Color Standards are matched to the desired gloss level and produced as 8 ½” x 11” paint on paper and come with a Munsell System notation.
QuickColor Standards
For fast, economical color matching, QuickColor is a proof-free, quick custom standard for interim, conceptual, or seasonal applications. These include color standards that have a short life cycle – such as seasonal products – and preliminary color standards for new products during the design process. If you choose the no proof option, you can have your custom standard in as little as a few days.
Texture Standards
Texture adds an additional challenge for color matching because it actually changes the appearance of the color. Munsell Texture Standards add a texture profile to your color to provide a more accurate simulation of your sample’s appearance so you can make better color decisions. Texture Color standards are available in fine, medium, or coarse textures and a variety of gloss levels.
Color Control Panels
Munsell Color Control Panels can be produced in a variety of painted substrates or textured surfaces and provide a min/max tolerance range for up to three colors.
- The single-color control panel represents the master standard or specific target color. It provides a reference for visual assessment or a target for color matching with an instrument-based color system.
- The two-step painted panel represents either a min/max tolerance range for two colors or an appearance standard for a single color at two gloss levels.
- For visual assessment of products with wider tolerances, the three-step painted panel includes the target color plus two tolerance limits.
Each labeled panel is available in variations of 3” x 5” formats or custom sizes along with the notation and data needed to ensure accurate color reproduction. You can also customize a Color Control Panel in a washable format for food and other applications where the color standard may need regular cleaning.
Color Tolerance Sets
Munsell Color Tolerance Sets are used by suppliers and manufacturers as a precise visual method for evaluating finished goods. They’re ideal for multi-component products that are manufactured in different locations. If you’re a buyer, you’ll get the color you want, and if you’re a supplier, you’ll get the flexibility to compensate for slight color shifts that result from normal process and materials variations.
Each Color Tolerance Set includes the target color plus up to ten acceptable limits.
- Three-Step = target + two limits
- Seven-Step = target + six limits
- Nine-Step = target + six limits plus two gloss levels
- Ten-Step = target + six limits + three gloss levels
This seven-step Color Tolerance Set includes a target color plus a light limit, dark limit, green limit, blue limit, weak limit, strong intermediate limit, and strong limit.
Learn More
How would you like to own your very own custom Munsell Color standards? Your local Pantone dealer can help you get started.
