color display, help needed

[Stuart Rogers]

On 22/06/2012 11:11 AM, Steve Rickaby wrote:
> At 12:49 -0700 21/6/12, Susan Anderson wrote:
>
>> I use unstructured Frame, version 9 (9.0p230), Windows 7
>> Professional.  The marketing department at my company has asked me
>> to modify the colors that display in the documentation. I've been
>> given RGB values for half a dozen colors but some of the values
>> provided exceed 100 and cannot be entered into Frame. Here's an
>> example of the information I received for one color:
>>
>> Pantone 072 CMYK = 100/88/0/5 RGB=0/28/168 Web Hex# = 001CA8
>>
>> How do I ensure that the prescribed colors display correctly in my
>> documents? I haven't worked much with color libraries and am not
>> sure what to do next.
>
> The Pantone shade completely specifies the color: just select it from
> Frame's Pantone libraries using View -> Color -> Definitions, or
> whatever that is in FrameMaker 9+. Unless I'm missing something...
>
> As you say you've not worked with color libraries: the Pantone system
> was developed as a foolproof and unambiguous way to specify the
> colors of printing inks, much as some domestic paint mixing systems
> work. As long as you select the correct Pantone color (072 is a dark
> blue), it should be guaranteed correct in print. Be aware though that
> FrameMaker cannot always absolutely reproduce it on the screen.
>

Isn't it more complicated than that?  (I'm no colour expert; I've just 
had some confusing and *bad* experiences trying to deal with colour 
through FM/Acrobat/Windows.)

Pantone does specify printing inks -- but isn't it the case that results 
also depend on the specification of the paper the inks will be applied 
to?   And what about online docs?  In my (limited) experience with 
FM/Acrobat, printing a Pantone colour to PDF can result in wildly 
out-of-whack results (probably mangled by the Windows GDI).  Pink 
Pantone in FM becomes ugly orange in the PDF; blues become purples, etc. 
  (I realize those results may be due to my inexperience with the 
software; but it doesn't sound like Susan is in any better a situation.)

If the output is to PDF to be viewed online, then (in a Windows 
environment), I find sticking to RGB is more reliable.  If the output is 
also/instead hardcopy produced from PDF by a print shop, then I think 
you have to know more than "Pantone 72" before you can be assured of 
problem-free results in both media.

Steve (and others on the list), if you have more experience and 
knowledge to share, I'm sure we'd all appreciate any light you can shed!

s.


-- 
Stuart Rogers
Technical Communicator
Phoenix Geophysics Limited
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 3
Toronto, ON, Canada  M1W 3K5
+1 (416) 491-7340 x 325

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