In the world of retail paint, getting to the best color match quickly is key to keeping your customers happy and coming back for more. Today we’ll review ways to get the most from your color measurement tools and how to match paint so your associates can be color experts, and you can enjoy fewer corrections and improved profitability.
Do any of these swatches match the customer’s quilt? Not really. Gain customer’s trust by creating a perfectly matched paint color.
Color Matching Guidelines
No matter which color-matching instrument you’re using, there are a few basic guidelines you should follow using your iVue.
- Keep your lenses clean.
Just like driving with a spotted windshield or reading with smeared glasses, dirty lenses don’t allow you to see well. Cleaning lenses at least once a week keeps your instruments performing at their best. Remember to clean your calibration plaque at the same time.DIY Tip: Use the same cleaning wipes you would use for your camera or eyeglasses.
- Calibrate regularly.
All electronic devices shift over time, so it’s necessary to bring the device back into known factory standards. Always calibrate after doing anything with the lenses, including cleaning, and whenever a measurement doesn’t seem quite right. Some stores calibrate before each shift. You can’t over-calibrate.
- Lay your samples flat.
Customers bring in just about anything to color match, and if it was wadded up in a purse or pocket, it is a challenge to measure. If the sample isn’t flat, the light from the device will bounce off and go somewhere other than back into the lens, giving you a bad measurement. If your device came with a sample holder, use it. Don’t have a sample holder? Do the best you can to flatten each sample before you measure.
The MatchRite iVue has a sample holder to ensure your samples are laying flat for the most accurate measurements.
- Make sure light isn’t passing through the sample.
If it is, your instrument is including the color of the background in your measurement. For samples like fabric, fold them a few times to make them opaque. If you can’t manipulate your sample, place it onto a backer that is a similar color. - Keep your device up-to-date.
Our NetProfiler 3 Performance Checker is a great way to find out how well your instrument is working. We’ll send you a memory stick and measurement cards with patches of colors that span the visible spectrum. Simply plug in the memory stick, measure each color, and send the stick back to us for evaluation. We can tell you whether your device is measuring accurately, whether a tune up will take care of it, or if it’s time to upgrade.
The Latest and Greatest
If it is time to upgrade, you’ll be pleased with how far technology has come.
A complete paint matching system, including the MatchRite iVue instrument and ColorDesigner PLUS software
The MatchRite iVue is a non-contact spectrophotometer that allows paint stores to match the color of just about any customer sample. When paired with ColorDesigner PLUS formulation software, is a very accurate and powerful tool for servicing your customers’ paint needs.
A few features our customers love:
- “Custom Match” functionality: Within the software, click “Custom Match” and get the formulation data using both bases and tints.
- Measure Anything: From tiny color squares to textured, oversized, and patterned samples, our retail solutions can measure just about anything. Our technology even averages measurements, providing accurate results.
- Aperture Choice: The iVue comes with two apertures – 6mm and 12mm. Use the small aperture for very accurate measurements of small or patterned samples. With line-of-sight viewing, you can see exactly where you’re going to measure.
- Sample Holders: A sample holder keeps your sample flat during measurements, and the chip clip holds even tiniest samples your customers bring in.
Is the iVue right for you? Check out this video for more information, or give us a call at 800-248-9748. We’re always happy to help you decide.
