Why Spectral Color is the Future of Brand Identity – How Designers, Agencies, and CMF Teams Can Lead the Way and “Why CMYK is not enough”
In a world where brand expression spans packaging, digital experiences, textiles, plastics, displays, and more, achieving consistent color is more than a creative challenge — it’s a technical one. Many creative professionals face daily frustration when working with color — from misaligned expectations to inconsistent results — largely due to the lack of a single source of truth and non-color-managed systems across the value chain. Communicating color through RGB or CMYK values alone no longer meets the demands of modern multi-material design workflows and often leads to misalignment, costly rework, and breakdowns in communication between design and production. Communicating color through RGB or CMYK values alone no longer meets the demands of modern multi-material design workflows and often leads to misalignment, costly rework, and frustration across the value chain.
For creative professionals, from brand designers to CMF (Color, Material, Finish) specialists and creative agencies, this opens up a crucial opportunity: to lead the next evolution of color management and become true color partners to their organizations or clients. The tool to enable this? Spectral color.
What Is Spectral Color?
Unlike RGB or CMYK, which define color in terms of how it appears on a specific device (a screen, a printer), spectral color defines color based on how it behaves under light — measured across the entire spectrum that is visible to the human eye.
In simple terms: RGB is a recipe for a screen. CMYK is a recipe for a printer. Spectral data is the full fingerprint of the color.
It doesn’t matter if that color ends up on fabric, plastic, paper, or a screen. The spectral data can be used to simulate and reproduce the same perceived color across any of them.
For designers and CMF experts, this means no more guessing how that perfect brand blue will show up on a cap, a printed brochure, or a digital ad and, for the first time, it enables clear, reliable communication with production teams. Everyone works from the same precise color data, eliminating interpretation errors and aligning expectations from design to manufacturing.
Why This Matters Now
Brand consistency is a non-negotiable. But in many real-world cases, colors shift drastically between materials. A blue on packaging might turn greenish on recycled plastic or appear dull on textile. Stakeholders blame printers or manufacturers. The truth? The original color definition was never precise enough.
Spectral color solves this at the root. And creative professionals who build this into their workflow gain a serious edge:
- You reduce the risk of misinterpretation between design and production
- You elevate your role as a strategic partner in the production process
- You differentiate your approach in a competitive environment
Common Misunderstandings: Let’s Clear Them Up
- Do I need special hardware to work with spectral color?
Not necessarily. If you are using existing spectral color libraries (like DMIx Basic Color), you can start working today no measurement device needed.
However, if you’re working with custom physical samples, then a spectral measurement device is highly recommended. This unlocks the full potential of spectral workflows.
- Do I need to change all my design software?
Absolutely not. Spectral colors can be mathematically converted into CMYK, RGB, Lab, and other color spaces. This means you can keep working in Adobe Creative Suite, Rhino, KeyShot, or your existing tools. The change isn’t technical, it’s mental. It’s about thinking upstream about color quality. - Isn’t Pantone© already enough?
Pantone© has long been a trusted reference in the design world and for good reason. As a predefined visual standard, it supports consistent communication within a certain range of materials and applications. However, the traditional Pantone system is still based on fixed approximations.What many don’t realize is that Pantone© also offers spectral data via DMIx through its digital libraries and that’s where the real power lies. By using the spectral version of Pantone© , you gain access to precise, material-independent data that can be translated into any output process with far greater accuracy. So yes, Pantone© is enough if you’re using its spectral version. That opens the door to full digital workflows, accurate substrate adaptation, and measurable quality standards that move beyond visual matching alone.
The Importance of SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)
Spectral color is powerful, but only when everyone in the workflow follows the same process. That’s where SOPs come in.
Professionals who define how color is selected, approved, specified, and validated – in technical terms – will gain huge advantages in efficiency and quality. It also removes room for subjective interpretation.
Want to be taken seriously by manufacturers and suppliers? Bring SOPs. They’re not red tape. They’re your ticket to accuracy and the good news is, you don’t have to figure it out alone. The team of experts at DMIx is here to help, offering guidance on best practices, workflows, and implementation to ensure spectral color becomes a powerful part of your toolkit.
“This isn’t just science >> it’s smart design.”
One More Thing: We Can’t Clone Color
No two materials are the same. A color will never appear identically on metal, paper, and cotton. But we can achieve a visually consistent result if we define technically meaningful targets and tolerances.
That means setting smart quality standards: how much color difference, in which direction is acceptable, under what lighting, and for which substrates. This isn’t just science >> it’s smart design. In our workshops and tailored projects, we work closely with you to examine what tolerances are meaningful for your specific processes, ensuring that your color expectations are not only defined, but technically achievable in production.
Final Thoughts
Spectral color isn’t “just for manufacturers.” It’s a creative tool, a quality standard, and a strategic advantage for designers, CMF professionals, and agencies who want to lead the conversation.
With platforms like DMIx, you can start working with spectral data right away, without disrupting your design tools or processes.
Brand color should be consistent, wherever it shows up. It’s time the creative world had the tools to make that happen.
Ready to take your color game to the next level? Let’s talk and get your color project started!