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Accurate color matching in injection molding

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Hi community, I’m working on injection-molded parts that need to have a consistent color across multiple production runs. The target color is pretty specific, so I’m trying to figure out the best way to communicate it for accuracy. I’ve come across the RAL and Lab* color systems but I’m not sure which one is best. Is providing a RAL code usually good enough, or is it worth using Lab* values to avoid color inconsistencies? Is it more reliable?

Solved by Danny94

In my experience, using Lab* values is the way to go if you need really tight color consistency, especially for larger production runs. RAL is great for general color matching, but it can have some variations depending on the manufacturer or the surface finish of your part. Lab* helps take that guesswork out since it’s more precise in how it defines color.

    • M

      Hi community, I’m working on injection-molded parts that need to have a consistent color across multiple production runs. The target color is pretty specific, so I’m trying to figure out the best way to communicate it for accuracy. I’ve come across the RAL and Lab* color systems but I’m not sure which one is best. Is providing a RAL code usually good enough, or is it worth using Lab* values to avoid color inconsistencies? Is it more reliable?

      0
    • D

      In my experience, using Lab* values is the way to go if you need really tight color consistency, especially for larger production runs. RAL is great for general color matching, but it can have some variations depending on the manufacturer or the surface finish of your part. Lab* helps take that guesswork out since it’s more precise in how it defines color.

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Accurate color matching in injection molding
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