What we want
The association freieFarbe wants to promote colour communication. We do not pursue any commercial goals.
We want to promote developments that ...
- Making colour predictable
- Make colour infinitely applicable
- Making colour systems comparable
- Simplify colour communication
- do not incur licence costs
- Give tips and hints for a cross-media correct colour workflow
- Making the multiple mystery of colour understandable
In a nutshell: Free colour from shackles! There are many good approaches to this, this website would like to present and bundle them.
We would like to initiate an open and constructive dialogue of possibilities, in which everyone can participate.
Example: Reseda green needs free colour
Reinhard Zerfaß, grafodesign Trendelburg
When we as graphic designers have to implement certain colour specifications of a client in various advertising media, it is sometimes not as easy as we thought. Certainly, it is possible to visually display any colour tone in RGB on the computer, but there are often problems with the implementation. The colour suppliers do not provide every colour tone as a pure colour.
As an example, the paint colour RAL 6011 (reseda green), which is widely used in the machine industry, should be used here. I can visually reproduce this colour tone in RGB, but if I want to convert this found colour as a printing colour, this process will certainly fail with 100%iger. Why?
- Point 1: I have no possibility to select RAL colours in the colour libraries of a computer or corresponding software without additional software.
- Point 2: These existing colour libraries only offer me HKS and Pantone colour templates in addition to exotic colour models.
- Point 3. HKS is the right choice as a pure printing ink, but this desired shade does not exist.
What can I do alternatively? I am either forced to imitate RAL 6011 from the 4 printing colours Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black or to upgrade my PC with special software for the conversion.
This example shows us that colour (or rather special hues) cannot simply be converted and exported.
The aim of freieFarbe is now to make every colour shade calculable in a supplier-neutral way so that it can be used on all surfaces and materials.
Founder of the initiative and the association
Jürgen Opitz †
Architect, specialist planner for colour
Digital techniques for the development of colour ideas and designs, their presentation and communication through to production have the potential to bring about a revolutionary paradigm shift in colour culture. In conception, the computer allows extreme sensitivity (almost) without technical difficulties, and in production, the highest degree of precision is technically possible. However, between these two ends of the production chain, the individual interests have placed an unmanageable minutiae of proprietary and never comprehensive, but cost-driving intermediate solutions, similar to the customs borders at the time of feudalism.
The ideal design workflow should run from the computer monitor directly into production, without special software, without compromises with manufacturer collections that deviate from the concept, without licensing restrictions, in freedom.
I see my task at "freieFarbe" as demonstrating the opportunities of the still relatively young technology with novel design strategies and advocating the insight into the advantages of a continuous and universal communication and production chain in colour.
Reinhard Zerfass
Advertising agency grafodesign
As a commercial artist, photographer and videographer, I am surrounded by colour all day long. For me, colour is the perfect design medium to express feelings. Besides image composition and page layout, I can specifically use colour to express joy, sadness, excitement and sentimentality. My works always have a visual language that I want to convey to the viewer with colour or a very specific choice of colour.
But how do I use colour? How do I manage to maintain exact colours from the recording to the finished printout? How can I influence colours so that my desired design is represented the way I want it?
Exciting questions that are only realisable with the use of free colours.
Peter Hunter
pro2media GmbH
Cross-media is on everyone's lips! But what kind of data do I get from graphic designers, photographers and layouters? Are the files really media-neutral and prepared for "cross-media publishing"? Who advises the customer on such questions? Is this the processing department in a print shop?
I look forward to finding answers to all these questions together with the freieFarbe team!
Holger Everding
dtp studio oldenburg
In 1993, one night at half past three, I had an idea: why are there only American colour systems in the usual software programmes? Shouldn't this be changed? No sooner said than done ... About 25 years of colour software followed: RAL Digital, HKS DTP Package, NCS for Adobe CC, Digital Colour Atlas, DCS BOOK Software Edition, Colors! and other products originated from my pen.
Hierbei habe ich festgestellt: Die Arbeit mit Farbe könnte einfacher sein, wenn man die im Computer mitgelieferten Farbsysteme besser nutzen würde. Mit RGB oder CIELAB legt man sich nicht von vornherein auf einen Hersteller fest. Diese Modelle sind darüberhinaus frei berechenbar, z.B. für Zwischenfarben, Farbharmonien, Farbvergleiche usw., drittens haben sie als mathematische Modelle keinen Urheber, und sie dürfen daher frei veröffentlicht werden. Gute Gründe also, diese Modelle stärker zu fördern, ihnen mit „freieFarbe“ eine Lobby zu geben.
Eric A. Soder
polygrafix.ch
As a photographer and media designer, I attach great importance to a controlled, precise handling of colours. This includes not only end-to-end colour management, but ideally also a fundamentally media-neutral definition of colours. In a digital world, I find proprietary and process-specific approaches obsolete; instead, colours can be defined in a universally valid and precisely reproducible way with a colour system based on CIELAB or HLC.
The initiative became a non-profit association
Die erste Ideen gehen zurück bis 2012, als wir erkannten, dass die Lösungen der wichtigsten Farbanbieter die Arbeit mit Farbe eher behindern als fördern. Wir gründeten die Initiative „freieFarbe“ und nahmen uns vor, „Farbe von Fesseln zu befreien“.
On 23.03.2016, the foundation of a non-profit association (e.V.) according to German law took place. The tax office and German jurisdiction have high requirements for this, and freieFarbe is not primarily intended to serve ourselves, but the general public. Nevertheless, the idea also offers great market gaps in commercial terms, and we would like to support everyone in filling them.
Become part of the colour revolution and get involved in a good cause: become a member.
Download the documents here: the Association statutes and the Membership form[:en]
What we want
The association freieFarbe wants to promote the colour communication. We do not pursue economic aims.
We want to promote developments which
- make colour calculable
- make colour stepless adaptable
- make colour systems comparable
- simplify colour communication
- generate no licence costs
- give hints and tips for a cross-medial workflow
- make the mystery of colour understandable
In short: Liberate colour from chains! There are many good approaches for it, this website wants to show and promote them.
We want an open and constructive dialogue of possibilities, everyone can take part.
Example: Resedagreen needs freeColour
Reinhard Zerfaß, grafodesign Trendelburg
If a graphic designer has to implement determined colour specifications of a customer in various media, it is not always as easy as thought. Surely it is possible to display any colour tone in RGB on the computer, but problems can often occur in the realisation of the material output. Manufacturers do not make every colour available as a ready-to-use ink or paint.
For example, we take the varnish colour RAL 6011 which is popular in the machine industry. This colour can be recreated in RGB, but converting it to a printing ink is not possible. Why?
- There is no possibility to choose RAL colours on the computer without special software.
- The given colour libraries just have exotic colour systems and HKS and Pantone.
- HKS would be the right choice for print, but the intended tone is not part of the collection.
And now? One possibility is to recreate RAL 6011 from Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. The other one is to buy special software for conversion.
This example shows that colour (or more precisely: specific colour) cannot easily be converted and exported.
The aim of freieFarbe is to make every colour tone supplier-independently convertible so it can be used on every material and surface.
Founders
Jürgen Opitz †
Architect, specialist planner for colours
The digital technologies for the development of colour ideas and design, their presentation, communication, and production have the potential for a revolutionary paradigm shift in the culture of colours. In the conception the computer allows extreme sensibility almost without technical problems, and in the production a maximum of precision is technically possible. But between these two ends of the production chain, individual interests have set a vast and never comprehensive but cost-intensive interim solution, similar to the customs boundary in times of the feudalism.
The ideal workflow of designing should go straight from the computer monitor to the production without special software, without different compromises from the concept with manufacturer collections, without licence regulations, in freedom.
My task in „FreieFarbe“ I see in showing the chances of the relatively young technology with new design strategies and in engaging for the access to the advantages of a consistent and universal communication and production chain in the colors.
Reinhard Zerfass
Advertising agency grafodesign
As a commercial artist, photographer and videographer, I am surrounded with colours the whole day. Color is the perfect design medium for me to express feelings. Besides image composition and page layout, I can use targeted colours to express joy, grief, excitement and sentiment. My work always has a visual language which I want to convey to the viewer with colour or a determined colour selection.
But how to use colour? How is it possible to maintain an exact colour from recording to completed print? How can I influence the colours that my desired design is portrayed as I want to?
Exciting questions, which are only workable with FreieFarbe.
Peter Hunter
pre2media GmbH
Cross-media is extremely fashionable. But what type of data do I get from graphic designers, photographers and layout artists? Are the files really media-neutral and prepared for cross-medial publication? Who advises the customer in these questions? Is this the processing in a printing shop?
Finding answers to all these questions together with the team of FreieFarbe, this is what I am looking forward to.
Holger Everding
dtp studio oldenburg
In 1993, one night at half past three, I had an idea: why are there only American colour systems in the usual software programs? Shouldn't this be changed? No sooner said than done... About 25 years of colour software followed: RAL Digital, HKS DTP package, NCS for Adobe CC, Digitaler Farbatlas, DCS BOOK Software Edition, Colors! and other products were written by me.
This is where I found out Working with color could be easier if you made better use of the color systems that came with your computer. With RGB or CIELAB you do not commit yourself to one manufacturer from the outset. Furthermore, these models are freely calculable, e.g. for intermediate colours, colour harmonies, colour comparisons etc., thirdly they have no originator as mathematical models, and they may therefore be freely published. Good reasons, therefore, to promote these models more strongly, to give them a lobby with „free colour“.
Eric A. Soder
polygrafix.ch
As a photographer and media designer, I want a controlled and precise handling of colours. This does not only require end-to-end colour management but ideally also a fundamentally media-neutral definition of colour. In my opinion, proprietary and process-specific approaches are out-dated in the digital world. Instead of that, a colour system based on CIELAB or HLC will let us specify colours universally and make them precisely reproducible.
Registered association
Since October 2016, we are recognised under German law and registered as a charitable organisation.
Become a part of the colour revolution, and engage in a good thing: Support us or become a member. Donations and contributions are tax-deductible.
Download the corresponding documents here: articles of association and membership form.
FreeColour or FreeColor?
Both! As color liberation is important worldwide, some prefer the American spelling „color“. With the domain name „freecolour.org“, we selected the British/international variant for reasons of availability and due to our European domicile.
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