For most colors we get close. Our stickers and sheet labels are printed on an 11-ink extended-gamut press that covers 99.5% of Pantone colors. We aren't a Pantone printer, though, so we can't guarantee an exact match. A digital press builds every color from the inks it has, so a Pantone color is reproduced instead of mixed, and a few colors can't be matched at all.
Why a digital press reproduces spot colors
Some printing methods mix each Pantone color as its own ink. Digital presses, ours included, build every color from the inks loaded on the press.
With four inks (CMYK), plenty of brand colors are out of reach. Our sticker press has 11, so the range is much wider, and the oranges, greens, and blues that usually disappoint land much closer.
The 11-ink press prints our stickers and sheet labels. Roll labels print in four-color CMYK, so the brightest brand colors land further off on a roll label. If a brand color matters on your roll labels, tell us the color before you order.
Colors that can't be matched exactly
- Fluorescent and neon colors. No ink we use glows, as can you print neon or fluorescent colors? explains.
- Metallic Pantones. Ink can't shine, though chrome film can give a metallic look. Can you print gold or metallic colors? has more.
- Some of the most saturated oranges, greens, and blues. These sit beyond what a digital press reaches, even with extra inks.
How to give us your color
- Give the Pantone number with its suffix. 186 C (coated) and 186 U (uncoated) are different swatches, so the letter matters.
- Or give the values from your brand guidelines: hex, RGB, or CMYK.
- Keep the Pantone swatch in a vector file, instead of converting it.
If the color is critical, tell us before you order, not after the proof. If you'd like us to match a printed sample you would mail in, ask us first, before you send anything.
What else changes how a color looks
- The material. On Clear, Holographic, Glitter, and Chrome, a brand color needs white ink under it, or the material shows through and changes it.
- The finish. Gloss lifts color and contrast, and matte looks slightly softer.
- Your screen. The proof is shown on a screen, which can't show printed color exactly. Why screen color and printed color never quite match explains why.
Checking before a big run
For stickers, order the 15 Custom Sticker Sample or a small run, and hold it against your Pantone guide or your existing printed pieces in daylight. That tells you more than any screen can. The sample prints on white vinyl only, gloss or matte, so for a color on Clear, Holographic, Glitter, or Chrome, a small first run is the check.
For labels, a physical sample usually costs more than it's worth, but you're welcome to ask us.
Will a reorder match?
Identical or very close. A reorder prints from the same file on the same press, so any difference is beyond what a typical person could tell. Seasonal, environmental, and press changes can cause slight variation between runs.