Matching a Brand Pantone on a Projected Logo

What to check on the first visit

A custom brand color matching install is mostly survey work. Walk the site at the hour the projection will run, because the ambient light, the position of vehicles, and even the position of a display stand all change what works. Take a photo, measure the throw, and mark the cable route before ordering anything.

• Nearest power and whether it is switched
• Surface material, colour and ambient light at the working hour
• Fixing substrate and bracket load
• How the unit will be reached for cleaning

Mounting height and bracket choice

Aim for a straight-on shot and a reachable position. The geometry matters more than people expect: at 30 degrees off-axis a rectangular logo becomes visibly trapezoidal, and no amount of focus adjustment fixes it. If the only available position is steeply angled, plan the artwork to suit — or move the surface.

1. Bracket rated above the fixture weight
2. Stainless fixings for exposed positions
3. Beam as close to perpendicular as the site allows
4. Position reachable without powered access

Aiming, zooming and focusing

Focus on the centre, then check the edges. A custom brand color matching focused on a flat wall should read evenly corner to corner; if it does not, the usual cause is an angled mount rather than a bad lens. Once you are happy, lock the focus if the unit allows it, because vibration and thermal cycling will otherwise move it over a season.

1. Set the bracket position first
2. Zoom to frame the image on the surface
3. Focus at the centre, then check all four corners
4. Lock the focus if the unit allows it

Commissioning checks

Commission in three checks: image sharpness at the corners, contrast against the surface at the working hour, and a full duty cycle run without thermal cut-out. That last one matters for IP65 units in enclosed spaces, where a custom brand color matching can pass every optical test and still trip after four hours in a hot ceiling void.

1. Image sharpness at the centre and all four corners
2. Contrast against the surface at the working hour
3. Full duty cycle run without thermal cut-out
4. Housing temperature after an hour at full output

Handover notes worth leaving behind

Leave four things behind: the throw distance and image width as installed, the gobo reference, the focus and zoom settings, and the supplier's contact for re-cutting artwork. Six months later, when somebody asks for a second unit to match, that sheet of paper is worth more than the manual.