Q:  How do I raise a technical query?
A: All customers/users should use the "ask the technical expert" option on the website, which is then automatically sent to info@matchmycolor.com.
Please do not ask multiple questions in one request. Treat each question as a separate request. This way we can give you the quickest possible response as questions on different topics may be answered by different experts.

COLORIMETRY

Q: Can you explain simply what DE is?
A: DE, sometimes called Delta E or officially Delta Error, gives a composite picture of the total color difference (summation of the differences in lightness, chroma and hue).

Q: Why does DE change under different lights?
A: Different light sources have different intensities of light at different wavelengths. Depending on the colorants used so the color will move as these individual components interact with the different wavelengths. When a color match is compared to the standard and they appear to diverge under different lights the two colors are said to be metameric to one another.

Q: Could you please explain how the program allocates the coloured traffic lights for Color Feasibility?
A: Once you have selected your Specific Requirements and your Target Color the Color Feasibility program selects the colorants that comply with your requirements and then tries various combinations to achieve your target color.
These combinations are then sorted by their colour difference, DE (Delta Error based on CMC 2:1), compared to the Target Color under 3 different light sources (daylight, incandescent light and fluorescent light). The primary sort is based on the daylight figures and the best (maximum 5) combinations are then tabulated for you as Feasible Colors.
-A green “traffic light” means that the Feasible Color in this light source has DE less than 0.5 compared to the Target Color. In visual terms there is little or no color difference between the Target and Feasible colors when viewed under this illuminant.
-The yellow “traffic light” represents a Feasible Color that has a DE between 0.5 and 1.5 compared to the Target. In visual terms this means there may be a perceptible color difference between the Feasible and Target colors but the difference should be acceptable when viewed in this illuminant.
-A red “traffic light” indicates that the DE between the Target and Feasible color is greater than 1.5 and visually may even look like a completely different color but it is the closest the Colorant Set can achieve with the Specified Requirements under this illuminant.

N.B.Occasionally the result is that there is no combination that will give a Feasible Color and you will receive this message:
This color is not feasible. Please start a new check

Q: What is metamerism?
A: When two colors look the same under one light source but look different under another light source. Metameric colors are sometimes called “conditional color matches”.

Q: What are the different light sources?
A: There are many light sources and here are some of the more commonly used ones:
- A = Incandescent light or tungsten filament lamp
- B = Simulated noon sunlight
- C = Simulated overcast sky daylight (North sky daylight in the northern hemisphere)
- D_{50 =} D₅₀₀₀ = Warm indoor daylight
- D₆₅ = D₆₅₀₀ = Similar to illuminant C but with more of the UV component
- F = Cool white fluorescent light
Illuminants are often referred to with a temperature subscript. The temperature refers to heating a black body until the desired radiation is achieved. These temperatures are expressed in kelvins (K). For the equivalent temperature in Centigrade scale add 273.15 to the kelvin number (0^°C = 273.15 K)

Q: Who or what is the standard observer?
A: There are 2 standard observers
- The original 2° standard observer was adopted in 1931 by the Commission International de l’Eclairage (CIE).
The CIE standard observer resulted from experiments where observers were asked to match monochromatic wavelengths of light with mixtures of three primaries. The standard observer is in fact a table showing how much of each primary would be used (by an average observer) to match each wavelength of light.
The 2° refers to the angle subtended to the eye by the object being viewed and is equivalent to viewing a circle of 1.7cm diameter at a distance of 50cm.

- In 1963 the CIE recommended the adoption of the 10° standard observer whereby the diameter of the circle was increased to 8.8cm.

EXPERT SYSTEM

Q: When should I use the expert system?
A: When you want the best colorants to be selected for your application.

Q: Where can I find out what restrictions apply to my recipe?
A: Once you have chosen the criteria you would like for your recipe, the details of your choice will appear under the “Specific Requirements” section of the left-hand navigation.
Details on the definitions of these restrictions appear in the help text

Q: What do I have to do when my formula is intended to be used in a Sensitive application?
A: Many products have sensitive issues due to their end use, e.g. food contact, toys, environmental impact, brand image, etc.
The matchmycolor.com selection boxes for "Specify Other Requirements" screen certain parameters. It is, however, the customer's duty to make sure that their product is "fit for the intended use".
matchmycolor.com recommends that customers contact their raw material suppliers to ascertain the suitability of any materials they require.

Q: What is the meaning of the different colored symbols in the color matching results table (E!)?
A: The color of the “traffic light” indicates the suitability of the recipe to perform to the specifications requested:
- Green is OK
- Yellow indicates some properties are borderline
- Red indicates that the formula will fail in some regard(s) to some part(s) of the specification

Q: Who puts the restrictions or boundaries on the use of the pigments?
A: A group of coloration experts who by experience and research have determined the limitations of individual colorants.

Q: My color must be heavy metal free but this criteria is not listed?
A: Heavy metal legislation is generally met by requesting the food contact status. There are, however, pigments containing “heavy metals” that are permissible in food contact as the “heavy metals” are not bio-available.
Please use the Technical Support Request form to advise our experts which heavy metals you are referring to or the legislation you wish to comply with.

Q: What is the difference between light fastness and weathering resistance?
A: This largely depends on the testing regime used but in general the answer is rain or simulated rain.

Q: What do you assess in your weathering and lightfastness data?
A: Weathering and lightfastness data in MMC assesses how the colorant performs under specific conditions and makes no comment on how the polymer/resin/binder has performed. In all cases if you are going to use your product under bright lights or in direct sunlight or outdoors please get advice on the appropriate stabilization from your polymer/resin/binder system supplier or please use the Technical Support Request form to get advice from our Technical Expert.

Weathering results are expressed on a Grey Scale used for assessing the change in colour. This Grey Scale is rated from 1 – 5. Where 5 is no change and 1 is a huge difference, i.e. all the colour has faded. (References include DIN 54001 and ISO 105-A02).
Light fastness results are expressed on the Blue Wool Scale (BWS), even though so some of the modern standards are on printed paper. The BWS is on a scale of 1 – 8 where 8 denotes little or no change in colour and 1 means there is no colour remaining. (Reference ISO 105-B01C).

Q: What is weathering data?
A: Weathering data are the results of either exposing the colorant outdoors in the application media, e.g. exposure in Florida, Arizona, Allunga, etc or the results of artificial accelerated weathering test.
The data in the MMC database is exclusively the latter in an effort to keep the information as uniform as possible. Please note outdoor weather conditions do differ and not all accelerated weathering machines are set to the same parameters.

Outdoor weathering is sometimes is expressed in months or years but usually the results are in kLangleys. A kLangley is equivalent to 41.84MJ/m2 or to put it into a yearly context:- 1 kLangley/year = 1.33W/m2

Accelerated weathering is normally measured in hours of running time in the machines which typically use filtered xenon arc illumination (data from the USA and Japan may also come from carbon arc light sources). These hours can be calculated back to kLangleys but must be done so with caution and with knowledge of how the specified wavelength relates to the over all spectral radiance for the specified region of use.

Q: What conditions were used to get the weathering data for the colorant sets?
A:Colorant accelerated weathering test results are difficult to pin point as different companies and different countries do tend to have different ideas but they all test with a rain cycle. Typical parameters vary but this is a typical set up:
0.35 W/m² at 340nm
Filters: borosilcate/borosilicate
Black Panel Temperature: 57-63^OC
Relative humidity: 50-60%
102 minutes light dry
18 minutes light with rain
Results typically quoted after 3000 hours

Using the above conditions you would expect to approximate a year in

• Central Europe, e.g. Basel, to be about 1400 hours
• Florida to rate about 2300 hours
• Central Australia to be about 3000 hours

Weathering tests are normally assessed using a grey scale where 5 denotes no change and 1 denotes a huge change. MMC typically cuts off recommending pigments for outdoor use if they drop below 4 after 3000 hours.

Q: Is SAE J 1885 a weathering or lightfastness test?
A: SAE J 1885 is not really a weathering test (no rain cycle); some people just call it a “hot light test”. It is most commonly associated with automotive interior testing especially in the USA and Japan. The test is conditions typically are
0.55 W/m² at 340nm
Filters: inner quartz, outer S type borosilcate
Black panel temperature 89 + 3^OC
Relative Humidity: 50 + 5% (light), 95 + 5% (dark)
228 minutes light dry
60 minutes dark dry
The results are sometimes quoted as 600kJ/m² or for 2000 hours exposure.

European car makers have tended to use the ISO 4892-2 method which uses 100 ^OC though the French automotive industry may still occasionally quote 90 ^OC.

For further reference Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC electronic news letter entitled SunSpots (PDF format) issue “Summer 2005” gives a more comprehensive picture including individual automotive company’s testing regimes.

COLORANT SETS

Q: What colorant sets are available for color matching and color feasibility?
A: There are many Colorant sets and we are adding to them. The polymer types that are currently available include:
- Polypropylene (PP)
- High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
- Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) film -packaging
- Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
- Flexible Polyvinyl Chloride (fPVC, pPVC)
- Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (rPVC, uPVC)
- High Impact Polystearine (HIPS)
- PS transparent
- PMMA transparent
- PET transparent
- PC transparent
- Polyamide (PA6)

The paint and coating systems available are:
- Auto Refinish - Coat Refinish (Alkyd Melamine)
- Auto Refinish -2 Coat System (PES-CAB- Melamine)
- Decorative/Trade Sales - Aqueous Paste Dispersions
- Decorative/Trade Sales -  Aqueous Paint (Acrylic / Powder pigments)
- Industrial Coatings -Solvent Coating (2 Pack- Polyurethane) 
- Industrial Coatings - Solvent Coating  (Alkyd Melamine)
- Industrial Coatings - Powder Coating

The ink & graphic arts colorant sets available are:
- Screen UV - Generic
- Flexo UV - Generic
- Flexo-Gravure - Solvent-based NC Generic (dyes)
- Flexo-Gravure - Solvent-based NC Generic (pigments)
- Flexo-Gravure - Solvent-based Ethylcellulose Generic
- Flexo-Gravure - Water-based Acrylic Generic
- Flexo-Gravure - Solvent-based Vinyl Generic
- Flexo-Gravure - Solvent-based NC Metallic Generic
- Offset - Generic (Coated Paper)
- Offset - Generic (MetalFX)
- Offset - Generic (Uncoated Paper)

Q: Can I change Colorant Set data?
A: The technical data behind each product in each Colorant Set is prepared by matchmycolor.com. If you would like to request any changes, please use the Technical Support Request form to tell us what you would like changed.

Q: Will my choice of polymer affect the end color?
A: Yes the polymer will invariably affect the end color unless the colorant level is very high in the end product. The latter is not recommended for both commercial and physical property reasons.
The amount of color shift between polymers of the same chemistry is not usually so extreme as to cause problems. (Homo and co polymers are not considered the same chemistry and they do create perceptible color differences).
If the polymer is filled or reinforced then the color will be different from an unfilled or non-reinforced polymer.

Q: You do not have a colorant set for the polymer I am using. Which one of your colorant sets do you recommend I use?
A: Please contact us directly using the Technical Support Request form and provide details on the polymer you wish to work in and if appropriate we will advise you if any of our Colorant Sets or particular colorants are suitable.

Q: What plastic/polymer do you recommend for my application?
A: We recommend that you consult with your polymer supplier to optimize the properties of the finished article so that it is fit for use. Or you can use the Technical Support Request form to ask your question to our team of experts.

Q: Can I add my own colors to the Colorant Set?
A: If you are a colorant supplier or a formulator, you can add your colors to matchymcolor.com by becoming a Partner of the website. Please contact us at partner@matchmycolor.com.
If you would like to request any additions to one of our existing Colorant Sets, please use the Technical Support Request form to tell us what you would like added.

Q: Why can’t I find the colorant and the polymer supplier that I normally use?
A: This means that the supplier is not a partner of matchmycolor.com. Once the supplier becomes a partner their products will be included.

Q: How do I use the Engineering Polymer Colorant Sets that are labelled transparent?
A: These Colorant Sets were measured in reflectance mode so that you do not have to switch to transmission mode to use them.
The best results are gained by measuring your transparent material over just a white background. (Please remember to change “Your Settings and >>Backing” in MMC to Nelly Rodi White).

Please note these transparent Colorant Sets are not designed for making translucent or opaque colours.

COLOR MEASUREMENT

Q: Can I use my current spectrophotometer or do I need to buy a new one?
A: There is a list of compatible spectrophotometers. You don’t need to buy a new one if your model is on the list.
If you need to buy a new instrument or don’t have one yet, we recommend you take a look at the special offer from our partner X-Rite.

Q: How can I link my spectrophotometer to matchmycolor.com?
A: Just plug your spectrophotometer equipped with a USB or regular port into your computer.
When connecting your spectrophotometer to your computer for internet measurement use you will need an eMeas software package.
The eMeas 3.2 installation package is offered for download aon our download page and you will be directed there when no eMeas is found on your computer (warning eMeas 3.1 cannot be detected by matchmycolor.com).
If you already are using eMeas 3.1 we advise you to upgrade to eMeas 3.2 to avoid issues.
Please follow the eMeas instructions for set up and use.

Specifically for the case where you have previously used the X-Rite SP 62 / 64  962 / 964 / 939 instruments in combination with the Ciba COLIBRI software, you will have to restore the spectrophotometer’s default settings before use with matchmycolor.com.  There are two ways to do this:
1. Manual: unplug the power cable, turn off the instrument, then simultaneously press x + tab down key + power on
2. Through the instrument menu (note here Handshake must not be set to CTS, use off or XON).

Q: What spectrophotometer should I choose?
A: Selecting the right instrument is critical for manufacturers to specify and match color. X-Rite offers several models for different applications.
The 900 Series are versatile 0º/45º spectrophotometers that can be used on materials ranging from paper and paint to plastics and textiles. The 900 series can be purchased with options to evaluate L*a*b* of an ink substrate, Density or Dot area measurements of a proof and for a full ink formulation when connected to software.
The SP Series portable sphere spectrophotometers are designed to give fast, precise and accurate color measurement on materials ranging from paper and paint to plastics and textiles.
The 8000 Series instruments are high performance spectrophotometers for precise laboratory color measurement. These transmission and reflectance instruments combine top and front loading features with horizontal and vertical positioning capabilities for precision color measurement in the lab.
Portable multi-angle spectrophotometers measure metallic, pearlescent, and special effect colors on curved surfaces. Measurements taken remotely can be uploaded to a PC. Includes 5 angles of measurement: 15°, 25°, 45°, 75°, 110°.

Q: What measuring geometry is best for my application?
A: The following information can help you understand which type of instrument is the best choice for specific applications:
Spheres are the instrument of choice when the sample is textured, rough or irregular.  Textile manufacturers, makers of roofing tiles, and acoustic ceiling materials would all likely select spheres.

A 0/45° instrument, more effectively than any other will remove gloss from the measurement and measure the appearance of the sample as the human eye would see it.  The 900 series can be used on materials ranging from paper and paint to plastics and textiles.

Multi-Angle instruments are used when measuring special effect colors that look different when viewed at different angles. X-Rites hand held multi-angle instruments are used by most automakers and their colorant supply chain worldwide.

Q: Can I carry out color matching on an uneven plastic sample?
A: No, the surface must be flat without any scratches, marks or defects. Different rules apply to measuring the color of spun fibers as they require special preparation before color measurement can be carried out.

Q: What is the best way to carry out color measurement on injection-molded samples?
A: First, punch out samples and then measure within the sphere of the spectrophotometer to avoid edge loss.

COLOR

Q: I have a reference code from my customer do you know what color it is?
A: Please send us the reference using the Technical Support Request form and we will attempt to identify the product/color, based on the experience of the matchmycolor.com Technical Expert.

Q: The color on the screen is not the same as the sample I have?
A: Screen colors are only indicative as screens may be set up differently, and their color visualization drifts over time without calibration. Other aspects that effect color include illumination and surrounding colors.
As part of our Color Management service, matchmycolor.com offers a screen calibration function.

Q: I need a fluorescent color matched. Can you help me?
A: Our system is not suitable for working with fluorescent or luminescent colors.

Q: I want the same color but transparent/translucent/ more opaque?
A: This is possible by adjusting the contrast during the Colormatch or Color Feasibility processes

Q: Does MMC match metallic/micaceous colors?
A: This is a planned future enhancement of the matchmycolor.com scientific engine.

Q: Can I colormatch metallic and pearlescent shades?
A: Yes, as soon as the colorants are added to the databases.

Q: Can I put a selection of colors together and look at them on the screen?
A: This will be possible when we implement a Color Creation service in our Inspirations section.

MISCELLANEOUS

Q: I have a problem trying to log in, can you help?
A: This may concern your files and cookies. In the browser menu under tools, you will need to select Internet Options. Then click on delete cookies and delete files to solve your problem. Please note the Cookies and Javascript need to be enabled which are also located in Internet Options under "Advanced". Please select these and click on OK.

Q: I want this to last a long time outdoors but your formula does not contain any UV stabilisers?
A: All polymers used in outdoor applications must be stabilized. In all cases please get advice on the appropriate stabilization from your chemical additive supplier, or your polymer/resin/binder system supplier or please use the Technical Support Request form to get advice from the matchmycolor.com Technical Expert.

Q: Can you produce a customized plastic sample that is 0.5mm thick?
A: At present this is not possible; we are only able to supply customized samples that are 2mm thick.

Q: Can I have a metallic/micaceous version of a catalogue/library color?
A: At the moment, matchmycolor.com only provides physical samples of matches/feasibility checks made through the website, with no enhancements or changes in recipe.

Q: Can I design my own Quality Control printout for my customer who wants these specific items listed/shown?
A: Although the Quality Control module has not yet been finalized, a flexible reporting system is planned to be implemented.

Q: I cannot download Eye-One Share and get it to work?
A: The Administrator for your computer may have certain protections in place to prevent viruses, etc, from getting onto your computer system.  To download Eye-One Share software and install it you must be registered on your computer system as an Administrator.

Q: I cannot save my colors! The pop up screen does not allow me to create folders and store colors in them. What can I do?
A: You will have to change a setting in your Internet Explorer. Add www.matchmycolor.com to the Trusted Sites and then you should be able to create folders and  save your colors.

Q: How do I change weight formulas to tinter formulas?
The following information should work for all the coating databases except the Paints and Coatings/Decorative Trade Sales/Aqueous Paste Dispersions.

A formula generated in matchmycolor.com by the Color Matching programme gives answers based on the weight of each of the colorants used to obtain the color. When a tinter system is used there is a requirement to translate the pure colorant weights into the weights of the respective tinters, as demonstrated in the table below

While this will give the color it may not give you the same opacity. The opacity difference may be due to the colorant to binder ratio in the dry film. The dry film’s opacity will depend on the tinters and their colorant to binder ratios.

Q: How do I change weight formulas to mono-concentrate masterbatch formulas?

A formula generated in matchmycolor.com by the Color Matching service gives answers based on the weight of each of the powder colorants used to obtain the color. When a mono-concentrate system is used there is a requirement to translate the colorant weights into the weights of the respective mono-concentrates, as demonstrated in the table below:

This situation can be further complicated if the ingredient is itself a mono-concentrate, as is the case if using any of the mono-concentrate Colorant Sets used in matchmycolor.com, e.g. MICRANYL, EUVINYL, MICROLEN, EUPOLEN, IRGAPLASTOL and MICROLITH colorants.

While these processes will produce the required color it may not have the required opacity. The opacity difference may in part be due to the colorants-to-polymer ratio in the final product.