ink mixing systems

[3Deep]

I know most of you might have an inhouse mixing system, but let me ask you these, when a customer gives you pms numbers and you mix them or have a ink company mix them and they still don't match the colour of the old printed garment what's up!!!!  I know getting the colour dead on takes knowing what ink brands the other company used or did they just mix by eye and slap a pms colour number on it for there shop?  I don't have a mixing system per say but I do go by an old mixing book I've had around the shop and pretty much have got dang close that it was passable.  Never really thought about getting a true mixing system because we don't have those type clients looking for that service, but when we do I just get the numbers and send to my ink company, but this job has been a tuffy

[Frog]

When the mixing system follows their formula for a given Pantone, but doesn't match the last garment, my first suspect is the previous garment. How do each compare to a Pantone swatch? That said, some colors mix more accurately than others. When there is a known stinker, I have seen updated formulas come from folks like Union in the past.

[rusty]

Matching an old garment would have to be done by eye.  I wouldn't trust another shops number. Also if the shirt has been washed, wouldn't it be faded/Dulled down?

[Frog]

In the end, it should be the client's decision as to whether they want a specific Pantone, or an attempt to match the previous garment. Then, get an OK. Put the responsibility on them!

[3Deep]

To answer rusty, the sample garment is new never worn, like I said I do mix by eye which I'm doing now with this print, my only problem is repeating this months or a year from now, I'm really bad at not documenting my steps

[Frog]

Well, even on eyeballed mixes, weights of each component could be recorded.