Each drape carries a label which shows the
- name of the hue, shade, tone, or tint
- and its ID number
This information is for ordering purposes only.
NAMING CONVENTIONS
There are NO international agreements on the names of colours so what you call ‘peach’, someone else may call ‘apricot’.
I always say that if I hold up a pink drape and my client says it’s green, then it’s green! Stuff the System. Put the Client First!
The names on our drape labels are generic and are SUGGESTIONS only.
If you prefer to use alternative names, then remove our labels and replace them with your own.
NOTATIONS ON OUR DRAPE LABELS
All seasonal and tonal notations on our drape labels are SUGGESTIONS only.
Each drape has a label which suggests which season could safely wear that colour:
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
Each drape has a label which also suggests which tonal direction could safely wear that colour:
- LT = Light
- DK = Dark/Deep
- BT = Bright/Clear
- MT = Muted
- C = Cool
- W = Warm
So if you work with the tonal approach, you can use any of our drapes with that method. They are all also marked with the seasons, so every drape can be used with any system.
THE TONAL NOTATIONS
The tonal notations on the drape labels were originally suggestions for ONE specific tonal method, e.g., BT/DK DK/BT WM/DK.
The creator of this method and notations is no longer with us, and I never understood that particular tonal method so I cannot explain anything further.
The labels have remained exactly the same for the past 45 years, and will continue to do so because our drapes are used by huge training companies and independent colour consultants across the globe.
There is no way all the different methods out there could be accommodated on one label. Each training company and individual consultant has their own method of analysis, which may require different notations.
HOW TO USE THE TONAL NOTATIONS – or not!
If the tonal notations on our labels make sense to you, that’s great.
If you have no idea what they mean, then:
- Use the FIRST tonal notation only, for an initial clue about whether a particular drape might or might not be useful for your client, e.g.,
- LT/MT (Light Muted)
- BT/DK (Bright Dark)
- WM (Warm)
- C /LT (Cool Light)
- Then IGNORE all other tonal notations
- If you find the current tonal notations distracting, remove our labels and replace them with your own
- As mentioned above, we are unable to explain any further about these notations which are linked to one specific method of tonal analysis that we neither use nor understand
- If you simply must know how to use these tonal notations with your own method of tonal analysis, you should go back to whoever trained you
COLOUR MATCHING
The colours you see on screen could be completely different from those on mine, so we have never provided an online overview.
I recommend the Colour Fabric Catalogue to everyone for colour matching.
It contains one each of all our drape/swatch colours (excluding men’s fabrics) in a professional holder.
This represents a significantly lower investment than purchasing all 173 drapes or a seasonal drape set or tonal drape set which contain 60 or 90 colours each respectively.
You can use the Colour Fabric Catalogue for colour matching and also as a professional visual aid to demonstrate the nuances of colour to your clients.
- Read more about Colour matching
MORE INFORMATION:
