Close Enough to What?

"Close enough" is a phrase I have heard many times during color reviews, yet it means something different to everyone involved.

To a designer, "close enough" may mean the color looks acceptable.

To a press operator, it may mean the color is within normal process variation.

To a brand owner, it may mean the package still looks like their product on the shelf.

The problem is that none of these definitions are objective.

If a printer and customer agree that a color is "close enough" today, will they make the same decision next week? Next month? At another plant? Under different lighting?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

That uncertainty is why the printing industry relies on color standards, tolerances, and measurement systems. A complete color specification defines the target color, measurement conditions, and acceptable tolerances, creating a common reference that survives changes in people, locations, and opinions.

Visual evaluation remains important, but visual evaluation alone is not a color management system.

The next time someone says a color is "close enough," consider asking a simple question:

Close enough to what?