Question Can I Ask for Feedback on a Color Matching Tool I’m Working On?

[o0Wiggyo]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been working on a small web-based tool to help with color matching in sign making, especially when dealing with Pantone references, material changes, and reprints where consistency matters. It's packed with helpful features.

I’ve hit enough bumps in my own workflow over the years that I decided to build something to solve the common issues — mainly tracking what worked before, matching colors across different printers or substrates, and creating reusable reference charts.

I’d love to share a bit more about it and invite a few of you to try it out while it’s in beta. But before I do, I just want to check with the mods/admin to make sure that's okay?

I’m not selling anything — I just want honest feedback from people who live and breathe this stuff and help me develop it further.

Is it alright to post more about it here?

Thanks for your time,

 

[netsol]

yours is a software solution?
what hardware component does it use?
xrite I1?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Are you just using the browser for the GUI or actually using the browser for both GUI and logic? Hopefully, the former and using a local server to handle communication with local hardware, otherwise be limited to whatever hardware the browser supports in it's CORs related sandbox and that may not be as accurate as one would want.

I'll use browsers/webviews for prototyping tools or short lived tools as that is quicker to throw a GUI on, especially compared to an immediate mode gui, but the sandbox nature of the browser is what will get one when it comes to local apps and it will need that local server.

 

[o0Wiggyo]

That's a very sharp and insightful question. We use a modern, hybrid architecture to get the best of both worlds:

*GUI (Runs in the browser):** The user interface is built with Next.js and React, running in your browser for a fast, interactive experience.

*Critical Logic (Runs on the server):** For all the important tasks that require precision and power—like generating a **true CMYK PDF** or running AI features—we use **Next.js Server Actions**. When you click a button for one of these features, the request is securely handled by our server backend. This bypasses the browser's sandbox limitations and color management issues, ensuring professional-grade, accurate results.

*Data Persistence (Runs in the browser... for now):** For this alpha version, all your data (jobs, color history, etc.) is stored in your browser's `localStorage`. This makes it fast, completely private, and available offline. The trade-off is that your data is tied to a single browser. For the full production release, we plan to migrate this to a cloud database to enable user accounts and cross-device syncing.

This approach gives the app a responsive interface while ensuring the critical color and generation logic is handled with the accuracy and power it needs.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

*Critical Logic (Runs on the server):** For all the important tasks that require precision and power—like generating a **true CMYK PDF** or running AI features—we use **Next.js Server Actions**. When you click a button for one of these features, the request is securely handled by our server backend. This bypasses the browser's sandbox limitations and color management issues, ensuring professional-grade, accurate results.

Ok, so the app is not local. When I use browser for gui, it's with a C backend for the local host and everything is local and it's not tied to the .config folder of the browser (which is important given the next bit) and can directly interface with hardware due to that backend.

*Data Persistence (Runs in the browser... for now):** For this alpha version, all your data (jobs, color history, etc.) is stored in your browser's `localStorage`. This makes it fast, completely private, and available offline. The trade-off is that your data is tied to a single browser.

Be careful here. Local storage may be deleted if the user is running cleaning programs (some have it as a default option as well, may happen even with indexedDB as well). May want to have some type of backup format: json (although depends on size of what this could be as well), sqlite (my favorite).

EDIT: Oh I see, you plan to move this to offsite storage, rendering the suggestions moot.

 

[o0Wiggyo]

Ok, so the app is not local. When I use browser for gui, it's with a C backend for the local host and everything is local and it's not tied to the .config folder of the browser (which is important given the next bit) and can directly interface with hardware due to that backend.

Be careful here. Local storage may be deleted if the user is running cleaning programs (some have it as a default option as well, may happen even with indexedDB as well). May want to have some type of backup format: json (although depends on size of what this could be as well), sqlite (my favorite).

EDIT: Oh I see, you plan to move this to offsite storage, rendering the suggestions moot.

Would you be interested in testing the product in it's Alpha stage?

 

[Fechin]

Are you trying to make a universal reference or a personal reference? CMYK values for the same color are going to vary from printer to printer, not just type/model, but individual printesr, PLUS whatever ripping software is being used. We have two locations with the same Epson and Onyx, but the colors can be slightly different.
Personally, on my own printers, I keep a spreadsheet of values per printer for the Pantones.

 

[o0Wiggyo]

You are 100% correct. Colour Matcher Pro is designed to help you create a personal, physical reference, not a universal one. The entire philosophy behind it is that the most accurate color measurement tool you own is your production printer, running your specific media and RIP profiles. The app is built to leverage that, not fight it.

Your spreadsheet system is exactly what savvy professionals do to manage the inherent chaos of CMYK printing between different setups. Colour Matcher Pro is designed to be the next evolution of that personal reference system, addressing scenarios that go beyond a simple list of Pantone values.

Here’s a deeper look at how it's different from built-in RIP tools and how its main features are designed for real-world print shop challenges.

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How It's Better Than In-Built RIP Swatch Tools​

RIP swatch generators are fantastic for one specific task: printing a big, static library of known colours. Our app is designed for the messy, day-to-day job of matching an unknown colour and doing it quickly from your design station.

• Design-Time vs. Print-Station Tool: RIP tools require you to go to the RIP station, generate a chart, and then take it back to your desk. Colour Matcher Pro is a web app you use at your design computer. You generate a targeted grid, download the CMYK PDF, and send it to your printer from your chair, integrating the process into your design phase.
• Interactive Exploration vs. Static Charts: A RIP chart is a static, "dumb" printout. The app's grid is fully interactive. When you find the perfect match on your physical print, you use the Coordinate Picker to instantly get the source CMYK data back into your design workflow. No manual searching, no typos.
• Precision Hunting vs. Library Printing: If a client's sample is a slightly "off" blue, you don't need to print 500 blues. You generate a focused 9x9 grid of subtle variations right around the colour you think is closest. It’s a surgical approach that saves a huge amount of ink, media, and time.

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In-Depth: The Image Extractor​

This tool is built for a common headache: a client gives you a file that isn't production-ready.

• For Raster Images (JPG, PNG): A client sends a blurry photo or a low-res logo. You upload it, and as you move your mouse over the image, a real-time "loupe" follows your cursor, showing you the exact CMYK values of the pixels underneath. When you see the colour you want, you click, and it's instantly added to a printable test strip.
• For Vector Files (SVG - Pro Feature): A client sends their logo as an SVG. Instead of you having to open it in Illustrator and manually select every shape to find the colours, the app's AI parses the entire SVG file. It extracts every unique fill and stroke colour and presents you with a clean, complete palette. You can then add any of these official brand colours to your test strip with one click.
• AI Gradient Detection (Pro Feature): A client provides a beautiful photo (like a sunset) and wants its colours for a background. Manually recreating that smooth gradient is nearly impossible. The AI analyzes the image, identifies the most prominent multi-step colour fades, and presents them as ready-to-print gradient strips. It shows you the key CMYK "stops," which you can then print as a continuous-tone CMYK test strip to see exactly how your system handles those smooth transitions.

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In-Depth: The Colour Tracker & AI Suggestions (Pro Feature)​

This is where the app becomes an intelligent partner. It acts as your business's central "colour memory" and actively helps you make better decisions.

It's a super-powered database. For every colour you save to a job, you're not just saving CMYK values. You're storing the entire context: the printer used, the media, the rendering profile (GRACoL/FOGRA), and timestamped notes ("Client loved this one," "A bit too dark on matte vinyl").

This enables Proportional Update Suggestions. Imagine this real-world scenario:

1. You have two jobs, "Client A - Van Wrap" and "Client B - Shop Fascia," both using a similar deep corporate blue.
2. For Client A, you switch to a new vinyl, and the blue prints a little too vibrantly. You edit the colour entry for "Client A," reducing Cyan by 5% and increasing Black by 2% to get the perfect match.
3. The next day, you open the job for "Client B." The Colour Tracker will now display a suggestion:
   

   "AI Suggestion: Based on your recent update to a similar blue in 'Client A - Van Wrap,' we suggest a proportional update for this colour."

The app calculated the delta (the C-5, M+0, Y+0, K+2 change) from your first adjustment. It then found a similar colour in another job and applied that same delta to create a new, suggested CMYK value. It predicts that you'll likely need to make a similar adjustment for other, similar blues on that printer.

The same principle applies when you change a printhead. The Colour Tracker includes a built-in colour calibration strip, which can be printed to update the tracker’s internal colour data. Once updated, the system will automatically recommend colour adjustments based on the latest output—on a per-device basis. This ensures that existing colours for jobs on other printers remain unaffected.

Importantly, you're never asked to trust it blindly. Each suggested colour comes with a “Print Grid” button. Clicking this sends the AI’s recommended colour to the center of the Grid Generator, surrounding it with a tight cluster of nearby variants. You can then print this focused mini-grid to visually confirm accuracy before making any final decisions.

This strikes a balance between the speed of AI-powered adjustments and the precision of your professional judgement—transforming your past work into a predictive, intelligent asset for future jobs.

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Why I Built This​

I want to be upfront: I created this tool to solve my own daily frustrations on the print floor. Juggling RIP settings, matching client samples, and switching between different media felt like an exhausting cycle of guesswork, trial, and wasted materials.

Since integrating this tool into my workflow, the colour-matching process has become dramatically faster and more reliable. In nearly every case, I now hit the exact colour I need on the very first print.

For the best possible results, I strongly recommend printing the built-in CMPTone® Swatch Book (a Pro feature) on your most commonly used media—with colour correction turned off. This gives you a physical, accurate reference of hundreds of colours on your own machine, providing a solid, trustworthy base to work from.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Would you be interested in testing the product in it's Alpha stage?

While I don't mind a program that uses a browser/webview context, despite the RAM overhead, just so long as it only uses a local server instead of having to dial out, all my production rigs are LAN only, no WAN access (why I tend not to use certain OSs as well, too much WAN that isn't easily or not at all, controlled by user). Getting harder and harder to do in today's world of SaaS everything, but I'm just an old curmudgeon trying to make it through.

Why I Built This
I want to be upfront: I created this tool to solve my own daily frustrations on the print floor. Juggling RIP settings, matching client samples, and switching between different media felt like an exhausting cycle of guesswork, trial, and wasted materials.

Since integrating this tool into my workflow, the colour-matching process has become dramatically faster and more reliable. In nearly every case, I now hit the exact colour I need on the very first print.

For the best possible results, I strongly recommend printing the built-in CMPTone® Swatch Book (a Pro feature) on your most commonly used media—with colour correction turned off. This gives you a physical, accurate reference of hundreds of colours on your own machine, providing a solid, trustworthy base to work from.

That's typically why I have created my own in house tools as well. Why I also liked programs that have a robust scripting API as well, in case they don't do something that I want them to do, I can see about doing it myself, but if a totally built from the ground up tool is necessary, so be it.

One thing that I would be cautious of, once that tool starts going out in the world and others are using it, what works great for your workflow, may make some request changes that don't fit yours and they tend to start making demands (rather it's free or paid app). So just be prepared on that diverging path, especially if this isn't the full thing you want to do. And I'm one that highly recommends people be willing to try to make their own tools, because most of the tools that everyone here uses are general purpose tools and don't always do exactly what one needs, just "good enough".

Now, on the flip side, the good thing about releasing something out in the wild is that bugs have a chance to be caught and squashed, particularly with such divergent work flows that people have compared to yours.

 

[o0Wiggyo]

Really appreciate your insight, it’s clear you’ve got a strong background in building tools, and I respect the LAN-only approach completely. That mindset is actually part of what motivated me to ensure the core features of Colour Tracker run entirely offline, even though the interface is browser-based.

To be upfront: I'm not a traditional developer. I built the app using Firebase Studio with a lot of help from AI tools, so it's not hand-coded from scratch. That said, I’ve done my best to keep things lightweight and practical. The main functions swatch tracking, print grid generation, colour change recommendations all run locally. However, some of the AI-driven suggestions still require internet access, so I’ve documented which parts work offline and which don’t for full transparency.

Even just today, I had to re-colour match three separate jobs on different media using my HP Latex printers and I was able to find the correct new values on the first print each time. So the tool is clearly working for my specific setup, which has saved me tons of trial-and-error, not to mention time and wasted material.

That said, I fully get that what works in my environment may not work in others. I’m considering releasing an Alpha version soon just to get some feedback from users with different workflows and setups before committing to anything broader.

And yeah, I hear you loud and clear on the challenge of handling feature requests once others get involved. I built this to solve my own production pain points, so I’m trying to keep it focused but I also know how valuable fresh eyes (and bug reports!) can be once it’s out in the wild.

Thanks again for the thoughtful reply, it's genuinely helpful hearing from someone who's clearly done this kind of thing before.