Such a simple question when posed by a print buyer towards a print seller. Yet I continue to be amused, and appalled, by how often the answer is wrong. 

You see, when you put ink on paper, there are four basic colors:  cyan, magenta, yellow and black.  Mixed in various combinations, these hues can make all the colors of the rainbow (or a reasonable facsimile thereof).  They are the very building blocks for the printing trade.  And so one would reasonably expect a printing salesperson to be able to tell me what each color looks like.  It is a minimum basis of expertise that we demand – especially in today’s very competitive printing arena.

I first asked this of a color separation salesman early in my career, as a way to make conversation. He told me that cyan was a shade of hot pink. He finally admitted that he didn’t know much about color but could sell me the expertise of his firm. He was never allowed in the office again.

Over the years, it’s become a joke question.  Almost.  I still use it as a quick barometer of a company’s commitment to their craft.

What are the quick barometers that YOU use to judge the expertise of the vendor/partners that you work with?  Right or wrong, first impressions count.  So go ahead – ask Balcom Agency the question.  We’re ready to give you the right answer.

And cyan?  It’s a beautiful shade of blue.