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SMS for design and advertising Getting started with SMS colours SMS BLOCKS Cost of ownership

SMS for print Printers (in all categories) SMS READY - or not?

Cost of ownership - the Spot Matching System

In this section we are going to talk about the COST of using the Spot Matching System for professional purposes, to give Designers and Brand Owners an idea and compare it to the actual cost of using other colour matching systems, that they have gotten used to using in the past decades.

Each Designer knows approx. how much time he or she spends - looking for colours for each new media, going to press checks and discounts given when mistakes are made and the customer is not happy with the result. In addition there is the cost of buying new, printed colour guides, preferably each year so you can actually see or show what the ACTUAL colour should look like in print.

The Spot Matching System is set up from the get go to avoid most of this cost. The SMS colours are simply LAB values and it is always the same LAB value regardless of media that you want. They are available in their original colours for web, TV and process (CMYK) printing to ISO 12647 standards - which is the universal standard for printing in colour, used around the world by offset and digital printshops.

The only thing a Designer has to worry about is whether the colour is correctly reproduced in Print or for textile - or whatever. He or she never has to worry about whether he or she (or the agency) has to suffer financially if the colour is incorrectly reproduced. The INPUT (i.e. what they send to the Printer or Manufacturer) can always be perfect, - as long as they either use the colours provided by Spot-Nordic (in the case where they are working for an SMS subscriber) - or if they convert their sRGB colours to the correct CMYK gamut using the simple step-by-step instructions provided to non-subscribers by Spot-Nordic.

In this case it is always easy to simply measure the colour with a spectral measurement device - which we can offer our customers for as little as EUR 599 if needed (see www.spot-nordic.com/qc). The LAB value of any SMS colour can simply be checked in Photoshop.

So there is never any doubt what the SMS colour should look like - and what it's LAB value should be.

We consider this the main strength of the Spot Matching System.

Other colour matching systems in the market are typically made up of recipes of special, proprietary inks or dyes, which means that the colours change depending on the media/substrate.

We are going to set up a few examples for Designers in different categories and we will compare the estimated costs and benefits of subscribing customers to SMS v.s. not subscribing customers and simply buying what you need from Spot-Nordic.

In all cases it is necessary for SMS users to calibrate their displays and keep them correct. Screen calibrators are available from various vendors at prices as low as 3-400 Euros. The reason this is especially important in the case of SMS colours is that they are visually correct on most digital displays that are able to display sRGB colours - that covers most digital displays in the world, down to smartphone displays.

1. Web Designers, Game Designers, UI Designers - anyone that only works in the sRGB colourspace.

The only item this category of Designers need to invest in are the P20 sRGB colour palettes of the Spot Matching System.

There are 3 in total:

a) The SMS Standard version - a total of 1.738 colours. Natural colours - the original SMS colour palette, presented in 2018.

Colours available for web, Television and CMYK printing on white (premium), coated and uncoated paper to ISO 12647 standards.

b) The SMS ECO version - a total of 1.738 colours. This colour palette was especially made for environmentally concious companies and institutions focused on minimizing their environmental footprint by using for instance recycled, uncoated paper for printing of their promotional material, while showing their true colours with the choice of their brand colours.

Apart from the environmental aspect (see www.spotmatchingsystem.com/environment), the ECO colours are the SMS colours that can be correctly reproduced for the biggest range of media, so there is almost no limit to where they can be correctly reproduced.

Colours available for web, Television and CMYK printing on coated and uncoated paper from standard newspaper printing to printing on bright white (premium), coated paper to ISO 12647 standards.

c) The SMS MAX version - a total of 1.738 colours. The most vibrant colours in the SMS arsenal. Well suited for packaging brands that want to stand out.

Brands or companies/institutions that use the Standard version for general purposes can on special occasions of course choose to "boost" their SMS colours by replacing the Standard or ECO colours with MAX colours.

Colours available for web, Television and CMYK printing on white, coated paper.

The colours are not the same in any case, since these colour palettes are intended for different end uses. It is recommended not to mix them up within the same design to avoid problems, unless they are only meant for digital displays - web design, UI/game design etc.

It is easy for web designers to pick up the HEX code for each colour for web design in for instance Photoshop to apply them in any app that supports HEX codes to define colour.

Total investment: EUR 90 pr. colour palette or EUR 180 for all 3 colour palettes.

2. Video Graphics, Cinema Graphics - REC. 0709/REC 2020 colourspace

The only item this category of Designers need to invest in are the P20 sRGB colour palettes of the Spot Matching System - in REC. 0709 or REC 2020 format.

If another colourspace is required, please contact sms@spot-nordic.com.

Total investment: EUR 90 pr. colour palette or EUR 180 for all 3 SMS colour palettes.

3. Print Designers/Brand Designers/Full service Design Agencies

Subscription - subscribing a customer to SMS:

Included are all 3 sRGB colour palettes - worth EUR 180 and up to 4 SMS colours in any CMYK format required (Fogra or GRACOL).

Option: Instead of requesting SMS colours in print formats for individual SMS colours, set up all customer's brand colours on one sheet in sRGB format (as many as you like) and request the Print formats you need for the customer, whether the colours are standard SMS colours or random colours - even colours of old customers that you want to switch to SMS to ensure visual consistency cross media.

Included is technical assistance and assistance to the Designer and anyone responsible for reproducing the selected SMS colours, - including Printshops and textile manufacturers. If the customer is big and demanding, this is a good way to put extra pressure on anyone responsible for reproducing their colours.

We are always happy to advise on choice of Printers or Manufacturers if there are quality issues that need to be solved.

See details on what is included in an SMS subscription, along with information on the SMS READY license for Designers and Agencies at the bottom of this page.

Total investment pr. Brand: EUR 600 pr. year.

Non-Subscribers - requiring official SMS brand colours

If you or your customer prefer not to subscribe, but still would like to use SMS colours for official promotion and have access to order CMYK colours and other services from Spot-Nordic to ensure best possible outcome in colour:

Your customer needs to buy a minimum of the SMS colour palette to be used for their promotion in P20 format. You may optionally buy the colour palette for the customer, while we need to know the name of the company/brand for our files to keep track of their promotion.
We can either invoice you or your customer.

Included with the purchase is a 12 month license to use the SMS colours purchased for official promotion - as brand colours for one brand.

In other words, even if you decide not to subscribe, there is still an annual cost of a minimum of EUR 60 for any company or brand that wants to use SMS colours for their official promotion in the market and to have access to services by Spot-Nordic. Updates and upgrades to the SMS colour palette are included. Furthermore brand owners can request their SMS brand colours in Excel format with the respective HEX codes for use in Microsoft apps, such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint for in-house presentations. Furthermore we assist registered brands and SMS subscribers with assistance to select the right paint for their offices, should they choose to paint them in their respective SMS brand colours.

Registered brands should provide Spot-Nordic with a copy of all artwork in sRGB format - with the SMS colour cubes/patches included - see www.spotmatchingsystem.com/gettingstarted which will enable Spot-Nordic to confirm the SMS colours of the brand owner on request, when needed. 

OPTION: We recently released an option that is perfect for professional Designers that like to be free of ordering services or colours from Spot-Nordic but would still like to take advantage of the unique SMS colours in their designs.

This option is a good idea for freelance designers that work mostly with smaller customers that don't have big budgets and equally for design agencies that have technically advanced staff capable of doing icc colour conversions.

Now Designers have the option of converting the sRGB (P20/P20e/P20x) colours of their customers themselves to the print conditon they need - free of charge.

Please study this presentation to familiarize yourself with the method, which will enable you to keep your SMS colours perfect for any occasion - by yourself, free of charge.

We have even added instructions on how you can locate the closest Pantone colours to your SMS colours if needed.

OPTION: P10 - SMS custom colour(s): Logo or layout page converted to SMS colours for ISO standard printing to Fogra or  GRACOL/G7.  
Issuing of an SMS BLOCK ID for the element, containing icc profile, white point and Print Standard.

Set up all used SMS colours with your comments and possibly special names for each colour if you like. Make sure to include all SMS colour patches within the layout -

- like this - side by side, so we see clearly which SMS colours we are dealing with. Feel free to include within the layout all variations of the logo in their sRGB version.

OPTION: If you have old customers that are unhappy with constant colour fluctuations of their colours in the different media, feel free to send us a layout with all their graphics - even just as they are (without using the SMS colours) and we will be happy to convert the entire layout to your SMS colourspace - i.e. the one that you own in sRGB format.

In this case it is a good idea to create colour patches - like the ones here above for each colour that is used for the logos. That way you can recreate the logos in the new SMS (custom) colours, once your receive the layout in the requested print format.

The web and TV version is included free of charge in this case.

Send the page to sms@spot-nordic.com in PDF format and request what Print condition you need - say your Printer has requested that you order the Fogra 39 condition - and you are setting up a job for printing on white, coated paper that is appropriate for that standard.

We will then convert your document to the Fogra 39 standard and send you that PDF document with the ISO Coated v2_300 icc profile embedded to the PDF.

You can either use your logos as they are within your layout in their bitmap format - or use the SMS colours to create a fresh Fogra 39 logo - simply replace the sRGB colours with the Fogra 39 colours respectively, colour by colour (recommended).

The cost of this Fogra 39 file is EUR 90. The same price will apply if you need other print standards later - say if you need to print your SMS colours on uncoated paper.

Total investment: EUR 0 (EUR 90 pr. colour palette, pr. brand for the first year of official usage + EUR 60 pr. year after the first 12 months*.

*Each P20e palette includes a license for official use of the SMS colours of the palette for one brand only for 12 months and access to technical support and services by Spot-Nordic during the license period.

A copy of the brand artwork should be sent to sms@spot-nordic.com with the SMS colour patches included - see here. This will enable Spot-Nordic to confirm the accuracy of SMS colours of the brand at any time during the license period, if needed, while serving as a backup to ensure that SMS brand colours don't get lost.

Furthermore, registered brands can request a free copy of the HEX values of their SMS brand colours in Excel format for creating in-house documents - Word, Excel or Powerpoint presentations.

Updates and upgrades to the colour palette as well as special offers and announcements of SMS READY products and companies are available to registered users/brands via our mailing list.

After the first 12 months, each brand license can be renewed for another 12 months for EUR 60.

Additional brand licenses using the same SMS colour palette can furthermore be purchased for EUR 60 each pr. year.

For non-commercial use or random technical use (layout work for 3rd party etc.), a renewal of the license in not required. 

Non-Subscribers - No need for official SMS colours for brand specification, - just for casual use.

To familiarize yourself with how to use SMS colours in Design, please refer to our Getting Started section.

To view our complete range of products and services - including our SMS READY offer for Advertising Agencies and Designes refer to our service section.

Contact sms@spot-nordic.com if you have any questions. We are here to help.

If you are a Designer in another category than the ones we listed here above, don't hesitate to contact us anyway. We are adding new categories to our system as we speak and you may just be able to help us out and give us the next great idea. 

SMS colours can already be reproduced for textile, plastics, 3D printing and paint by SMS READY manufacturers. 

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We welcome you to visit the SMS shop to subscribe to SMS or buy SMS standard products.

Start by creating your account whether you prefer to subscribe or not. 

Contact sms@spot-nordic.com for ordering services or SMS products. Please include your customer ID.