The New Industry Standard

Traditionally, most color teams have relied on physical color standards - Fabric swatches dyed and shipped by a standard provider. The limitations of these established standard libraries are well-known:

• Availability: often out of stock from the provider, leading to long wait times or forced changes in shades.

• Intellectual Property: Physical standards deteriorate and must be regularly replaced. They must be purchased by both the brand and the supplier every year. Brands cannot share the standards they purchase with their suppliers – suppliers must also purchase.

• Consistency: There is known lot to lot variation, which means you and your supplier may be looking at different shades.

These issues are often accepted because of tradition and because there is a perceived need to hold a physical sample in hand.

At natific, however, we trust the data. Most of our clients assess colors digitally, accurately matching the spectral curve, not relying solely on visual evaluation.

A virtual standard faces none of the limitations of a physical standard. Virtual standards in the nVCL (natific Virtual Color Library) are pre-vetted for feasibility, instantly available for download, and can be shared with your suppliers at no additional cost to you or them.

Virtual color standards are the new standard for the industry. Speed up your development cycle while increasing accuracy and decreasing supply chain waste with the natific Virtual Color Library.

We heard from companies at Performance Days in Munich this year that they are focused on cutting design and development times. The missing link was always that the designers don’t know if the colors they want can be translated onto the specified fabrics when they are making design choices. With the nVCL, designers and colorists can trust that the colors they want will perform as expected on the material they select.

Still need a physical reference? Check out our nSPIRE Color Cards, color-accurate and printed on the spot at your location.