Frames - colour selection?

giant_man
giant_man Posts: 6,878
edited December 2008 in Workshop
I was wondering what colour swatches - if any - bike companies choose the colours of their frames from. To explain, I am a graphic designer involved in print so I know if I want something a certain colour, I just reach for my Pantone swatches and choose from the vast selection of colours and tones from that, so do people in the bike trade do something similar?

Must be some sort of colour scheme selection process? Anyone know?

Comments

  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    RAL paint codes are fairly standard in the automotive area - not sure if they are also used in the cycle industry...?
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Painters use RAL codes - some can colour match these days but from previous experience of colour matching Pantone to paint colours, it can be quite tricky and gloss paint sometimes looks different to flat paper.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Supergoose
    Supergoose Posts: 1,089
    Pantone also do metallic swatches.
    Rock 'n' Roule
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    Monty Dog wrote:
    Painters use RAL codes - some can colour match these days but from previous experience of colour matching Pantone to paint colours, it can be quite tricky and gloss paint sometimes looks different to flat paper.
    Absolutely. I'm sure it would be hard to transpose on different mediums.
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    Supergoose wrote:
    Pantone also do metallic swatches.
    Yes indeed they do but again it's going on metal not paper stock as Monty says.
  • Supergoose
    Supergoose Posts: 1,089
    giant mancp wrote:
    Supergoose wrote:
    Pantone also do metallic swatches.
    Yes indeed they do but again it's going on metal not paper stock as Monty says.

    For sure, but I thought perhaps a coated metallic swatch would better represent the finished article on a bike or car than a flat colour on uncoated stock no?
    Rock 'n' Roule
  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    giant mancp wrote:
    I was wondering what colour swatches - if any - bike companies choose the colours of their frames from. To explain, I am a graphic designer involved in print so I know if I want something a certain colour, I just reach for my Pantone swatches and choose from the vast selection of colours and tones from that, so do people in the bike trade do something similar?

    Must be some sort of colour scheme selection process? Anyone know?
    You poor bastard! One of the best things that I've ever done was to get out of print.

    Anyhoo, to get back on topic. I'd expect there to be 2 (at least) standards for frame paint: enamel and powder coating. For enamel I would think that a Humbrol (think Airfix models) chart would be worth a look. Have a look here. (I haven't read it to see if it helps). Nor this one for powdercoat.

    [Edit to add:] This one says that powder coat is RAL

    I doubt that you'll get the colour values that I suspect that you're looking for though.
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Pretty certain any big maker uses designers to choose exactly the right shade.
    I think i was offered pantone colours when i had my frames resprayed.
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    Crapaud wrote:
    giant mancp wrote:
    I was wondering what colour swatches - if any - bike companies choose the colours of their frames from. To explain, I am a graphic designer involved in print so I know if I want something a certain colour, I just reach for my Pantone swatches and choose from the vast selection of colours and tones from that, so do people in the bike trade do something similar?

    Must be some sort of colour scheme selection process? Anyone know?
    You poor bastard! One of the best things that I've ever done was to get out of print.

    Anyhoo, to get back on topic. I'd expect there to be 2 (at least) standards for frame paint: enamel and powder coating. For enamel I would think that a Humbrol (think Airfix models) chart would be worth a look. Have a look here. (I haven't read it to see if it helps). Nor this one for powdercoat.

    [Edit to add:] This one says that powder coat is RAL

    I doubt that you'll get the colour values that I suspect that you're looking for though.

    Love print me, been in it most of my life so everything goes well for me usually. Depends what capacity you were involved in print. thanks for the comments guys.
  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    giant mancp wrote:

    Love print me, been in it most of my life so everything goes well for me usually. Depends what capacity you were involved in print. thanks for the comments guys.
    I love print too - it's the industry I detest; it's changed out of all recognition, for a number of reasons, in the past 25 years. I was pre-press; a colour reprographer, amongst other things.

    I'll stop there. I can feel an unhinged, intemperate, foul-mouthed frothing rant coming on.
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    Yeah it has changed Crapaud that's for sure. I personally think it's getting better and I think it's just a case of embracing the change and going with it.

    Very skilled job a colour reprographer. You should be worth your weight mate ....

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