FOCUS

 
“Getting to the market with the right colour at the right time”

Interview with Colour Designer Elke Dirks 

Interstandox: Which is currently the most popular car colour? And what trends do you see for the future?

Elke Dirks: Black is at the moment the clear favourite of car buyers. Basically, the market is currently dominated worldwide by so-called “achromatic” colours that symbolize high tech and speed, elegance and understatement. White is on the advance and, with its natural radiance, underlines the trend towards environmentally compatible vehicle strategies. On off-road SUVs, shades of beige and brown are gaining ground. An appreciation of colour is growing particularly in the small car sector.

Interstandox: How far in advance do you as a colour designer have to spot trends?

Elke Dirks: Because of the often long run-up, colour trends ought to be analysed some three to four years in advance. The art is getting the right colour onto the right vehicle at the right time so that it is positively received by the market.

Interstandox: Where do the ideas for colours come from?

Elke Dirks: Colour trends don’t come about overnight. Nor are they created, but are logical conclusions from a consistent trend analysis. For me the key indicators are, for instance, the trends in the furniture or fashion sector and in consumer goods, long-term evaluations of colour statistics and national factors plus close consultation with designers.

Interstandox: What criteria does a car colour have to satisfy?

Elke Dirks: The most important criterion is undoubtedly its suitability for series production. The paint has to meet tough requirements, in terms of weather resistance, hiding power, scratch resistance and its repair qualities, for instance. From a purely aesthetic point of view, a car colour should underline the vehicle’s character.

Interstandox: Are there certain colours that are regularly chosen for certain characteristics (environmental compatibility, for example) or car types (SUVS and sports cars, for example)?

Elke Dirks: Bright, purist colours are the highly aesthetic response to newly developed eco-friendly vehicle concepts. White is an important lead colour here and indicates minimalism in its noblest interpretation. Strong, fresh and highly chromatic shades suggest a strong sense of vitality and go down well on the sports and small car markets.

Bildtext: Elke Dirks is a Colour Designer at DuPont Automotive OEM Coatings in Wuppertal.

Kasten: In the development of new car colours, colour designers take up current trends and get them ready for the market. Standox’s close ties with OEMs ensure that new colours can be reliably reproduced during repairs.

FOCUS

Finding the right colour quickly and reliably

Vorspann:
Immaculate refinishes depend essentially on the ability to precisely identify the right colour. With advanced Color Tools, Standox helps its partners in the trade to beat a path through the colour jungle.

Lauftext:
Colour identification is one of the most important tasks in any bodyshop. With deadline pressure growing, professionals are resorting increasingly to electronic aids to achieve perfect results quickly and efficiently.

High-power product range makes colour identification easier

Standowin, the electronic colour search program from Standox, provides direct access to all current Standox mixing formulations and correction advice. The central element of the new version of the program is its Digital Color Display. After input of the car make, model and year of production, it immediately lists on the screen all the possible colours – realistically replicated on digital colour chips from different viewing angles. Just as useful is the Colour Information menu containing details from manufacturers, such as code lists, colours of new models, positions of vehicle identification plates, lists of current mixing bases and practical instructions for use. Among the colour tips, finally, bodyshops will find information on frequently used variants. Standowin has a modular design and offers refinishers many ways of creating the best refinishing processes.

Measuring colours right at the vehicle

In view of the large number of colours and variants, electronic measurement with the Standox Genius spectrophotometer is becoming more and more important. The measuring instrument makes it possible to identify colours flexibly and reliably even without information on the manufacturer. All the refinisher has to do is hold the instrument against a clean and polished panel on the car body. The measurements obtained are compared by Standowin with around 250,000 formulations contained in the database and the correct mixing formulation is shown.

New Color Tools

With new and unrivalled technology, Standox is also making colour searches on the Internet quicker and more convenient. More formulations, more models, more search terms and the presentation of the colours on the Digital Color Display make the program a big help. Online colour searches are available via your national Standox website.

Whenever OEM-finished body parts have to be refinished, the required colour is usually identifiable from the manufacturer’s coding. With add-on parts, the situation is much more difficult. The new Add-on Parts Color Box comprises 1,485 large-format colour swatches and helps refinishers identify add-on part and interior colours.

The new Standohyd Colormix Poster is a useful aid that can be hung up in the workshop. It is in two languages, German and English, and shows all Standox mixing bases inclusive of their position in the colour circle and their most important characteristics.

Genius with new functions

Genius, the handy spectrophotometer from Standox, has been technically upgraded and now has further useful functions:

• In combination with Standowin, Genius spots even tiny ageing- or weathering-induced deviations from the original colour.
• Formulations derived from measurements can be saved as customer mixing formulations in the Standowin database.
• Data transmission is now possible via a USB port or Bluetooth.
• A new, high-grade protective sleeve protects the instrument from the dirt typically found in workshops.

Testimonials (Einklinker mit Fotos und kurzem Zitat):

“Genius supplies a precise formulation first time around and eliminates time-consuming searches.”
Caroline Aspernig, General Manager of Aspernig Karosserietechnik GmbH in Klagenfurt (Austria)

We carry out four out of every five searches with Genius. This saves a lot of time, particularly with solid colours.”
Albert Kip, General Manager of Autoschade Albert Kip BV (Netherlands)

“With Genius, I can identify effect and solid colours in a matter of minutes.”
Birgit Krusel, owner, and Ralf Nienhaus, senior refinisher, Autolackierung Krursel GmbH in Olfen (Germany)