Is black a color?

[ScreenFoo]

-a perfectly balanced grey will turn violet when it's against yellow, right?  All about your point of reference, I guess.

Here's a good definition on that subject. The lower parts pertain more to what you're referring to.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamerism_(color)

This explains black is the absence of color...but exist and is defined (as a color).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black#Optics


How ink Co's manufacturer blacks and various whites should be a whole different definition. We know they use other colors to create blacks and white aslo.  Wilflex for example has a white that can be found to have a slight blue cast to it.

But if it has a blue cast, it's a very light blue, not a white, right?  For all intensive purposes in screen printing, white and black are colors, because they're never ACTUALLY white and black.  Easy to combine the two and see the very non-neutral grey that results nearly every time.

I wasn't thinking so much metamerism so much as why butchers put lettuce in their meat cases--i.e. the eye's tendency to change the intensity of a color based on being next to the complement--like that a dull red steak will look much more fresh when it's next to something green.

As far as the black thing goes, the first sentence of the page on Black says:
"In the visible spectrum, white reflects light and is a presence of all colors, but black absorbs light and is an absence of color."

Again, color or no, it goes through a screen we charge for it-just always interested in how other people 'talk color'.   

[Sbrem]

I don't think "is black a color?" is the right question. Black is the absence of light, so, no light, no color... but now ink comes into the equation, so yes, it is a color, but is it truly black? I say no, but an incredible simulation...

Steve

[3Deep]

I had a customer tell me once that black and white was not a color, so I went to the black and brought the two gals up front and set them on the counter, sometimes you just have to show people instead of trying to tell them.  I really can't see how people would not think those aren't real colors, but in the same breathe they say, hey you got the John deer green or some off the wall color they have made up in there heads ...me never heard of that color where you get it from, them Oh that's what I call it, but black and white are not colors LOL.

Darryl

[Gilligan]

Nice Darryl!

I need to get my printer in on this conversation.  He HATES color names.  He's like "it's not hibiscus, it's PINK!" LOL

[Sbrem]

Nice Darryl!

I need to get my printer in on this conversation.  He HATES color names.  He's like "it's not hibiscus, it's PINK!" LOL

One of my favorites for made up names was "Deep, hot Rasberry pink" Rasberry pink? Does the Trix rabbit know about this?

Steve

[Dottonedan]

THis reminds me. we had a "color issues" once when I was reping a printer and they had an artist on staff that had been complaining about the color names that a specific buyer had been giving colors. They were a bit odd...but what erked me about the artist complaining, was the fact that this buyer did indeed also provide pms colors.


So, for example, she gave a color name of (oh, i donno, lets call it Limonade green pms 389).  So the artist at the print shop again, complained...and I'm thinking whats it matter if they call it Snot green or Limonade green?  It's flipp'n green with a pms call out. So you already know for sure what they want. Sheesh.  So on the order form, I added in Snot Green, pms 389.  She was not as entertained as I was but it was funny.

[JBLUE]

For me if it is ink it is a color. If it requires a screen to print it thats a color. Regardless of the definition if it takes a screen to put it on a shirt it is charged as a color.

[ScreenFoo]

Nice Darryl!

I need to get my printer in on this conversation.  He HATES color names.  He's like "it's not hibiscus, it's PINK!" LOL

One of my favorites for made up names was "Deep, hot Rasberry pink" Rasberry pink? Does the Trix rabbit know about this?

Steve

OK, Limonade and Snot Green are great, but Deep, hot Raspberry pink takes the cake.  Actually, it SOUNDS like cake. 

[3Deep]

Around here we get the John Deer Green or Grass Green or they might say I want blue, we say which color blue, they say you know the regular blue etc.... until I say royal and show them LOL

Darryl

[Frog]

I like "sky blue" when I look out and see gray! lol!

[ScreenFoo]

Actually, John Deere green is easy--PMS 355.    The huge multinationals make it easy for us to nail down colors with silly *corporate* names.   

Sometimes customers make it easier when they already saw a color on a popular logo they like. 

[inkman996]

Next time someone tries to argue with you that black and white are not colors and should be free. Ask them how much it costs them to paint their walls white or black. Hell ask them if painters paint for free if it is white walls or whatever they are painting. I would also think black and white cars should be discounted from their colored versions since they didn't have to actually paint these cars.

[Sbrem]

It's pretty much a tech question. We learned in science class that Black is the absence of light and White is the presence of all color (which is why a prism breaks up the white light during the day, and not a damn thing at night.) So, in that sense, they really aren't colors, BUT, since we have to push something through the mesh and onto the shirts, they are "colors". We charge for impressions, for the person with a technical hair across his or her ass... potato/ potahto, tomato, tomahto I guess

[Gilligan]

(which is why a prism breaks up the white light during the day, and not a damn thing at night.)

Sounds like you spent too much time figuring this out.

So, in that sense, they really aren't colors, BUT, since we have to push something through the mesh and onto the shirts, they are "colors". We charge for impressions, for the person with a technical hair across his or her ass... potato/ potahto, tomato, tomahto I guess

I would argue though that white IS a color, being all colors.  Green is just a combination of Yellow and Blue.

Then you get into the subtractive vs additive discussion when it comes to paint/ink.  No object (other than light bulbs and such) generate light.  They only filter/reflect light.  So in a sense, none of them are colors, or they are ALL colors, depending how you want to look at it.

[Sbrem]

took me years to figure out why the prism wouldn't work at night... (I thought it was faulty) Note to self; try to separate the colors out of white ink with a prism...

Steve