That expensive Pantone swatch book I scoffed at saved my print job yesterday

I've been using screen color pickers for years and figured paying $180 for a paper fan deck was a waste. But when I had to match a specific teal for a restaurant menu in Austin, the screen showed one thing and the proof came back looking like swamp water. Broke down and bought the coated + uncoated set from a local shop. First test print matched perfectly on the first try no adjustments needed. Has anyone else had a moment where a physical swatch made you feel silly for trusting the monitor?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley59516h ago

180 dollars for a fan deck and suddenly I'm the one who looks like the swamp monster for arguing against it. My monitor has been lying to me this whole time and I just accepted it like a chump.

webb.stella12h ago

Oh man @riley595 I feel you, I had a similar freakout when I finally calibrated my cheap monitor and realized everything looked like a blurry mess. I just downloaded a free calibration tool online and tweaked the settings, it made a huge difference without spending anything.