ColorWerx

Converted by Falcon Hive

San Francisco 49ers (NFL) Unveil New Uniforms

4/26/2009 01:50:00 PM • , , , • 4 comments

The San Francisco 49ers have unveiled new "throwback-esque" uniforms. The Cardinal color has been modified to a lighter shade - "49ers Red" reminiscent of the older '80s-'90s uniforms. The primary logo - which was updated in 1996 - remains intact; although re-colored with the new Red.

Primary Mark:



Logotype 1:



Logotype 2:



Helmet Graphic:



Home Uniform Graphic:



Road Uniform Graphic:



Link: http://www.49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=5258

I plan on posting a "History of the San Francisco 49ers Team Colors" story in the near future. I will go through the variations on their Reds and Golds, and also offer some theories as to some of the choices they have made over the years.

Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL) Unveil New Uniforms

4/22/2009 12:17:00 PM • , , , • 2 comments

The Jacksonville Jaguars have unveiled a new uniform set - establishing Teal home jerseys with White pants, and White road jerseys with Black pants. Also included in this unveiling is a new Teal glitter effect in the Jags' Black helmets. Along with a new wordmark, which will appear above the numbers on the front of the jerseys.

The team is also doing away with some of the full-bodied jaguar marks - leaving the Jaguar-head mark as the primary logo.

Primary Mark:



Primary Logotype:



Primary Mark with Logotype:



Helmet Graphic:



Note the continued use of Metallic Gold in the helmet decal; as opposed to the flat Gold used in the logos and logotypes.

Home Uniform Graphic:



Road Uniform Graphic:



Link: http://www.jaguars.com/news/article.aspx?id=7787

Detroit Lions (NFL) Unveil New Marks, Uniforms

4/20/2009 05:52:00 PM • , , , • 3 comments

Well, the worst-kept secret for logo/uniform geeks (like me) has finally been officially unveiled. The Detroit Lions revealed the changes to their logos and uniforms for the 2009 NFL season.

Primary Mark:



Logotype:



Helmet Graphic:



Home Uniform Graphic:



Road Uniform Graphic:



Link to story (and photographs): http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=483690

USFL and XFL Team Colors

4/15/2009 08:31:00 AM • , , • 0 comments

The updates for the United States Football League and the XFL are up:

All XFL colors are official; all but two USFL sets are confirmed. I am missing the Arizona Outlaws set (1985). However, due to the fact that I do have the Arizona Outlaws' set (1983-1984), and the Oklahoma Outlaws' set (1984) - and due to the fact that these two franchises merged for 1985 - my estimates are more than likely accurate. I am also missing the 1985 Denver Gold set - they had used a metallic for their Gold in 1983-1984, but switched to what I believe is a "flat" Gold for 1985.

If you're interested in more information on the USFL and the XFL, I have more extensive research on their Pantone colors, and various vintage logosheets here:

Color-Optimized Graphics

4/14/2009 04:56:00 PM • , , , • 2 comments

As I mentioned in a previous post, over on Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Community, I have been taking vector graphics (.AI or .EPS formats), setting the Document Color Mode to RGB (I also have my Color Settings set to RGB Working Space = sRGB IEC61966-2.1), changing all of the graphic's swatches to RGB, and modifying the RGB values to match the sRGB standard.

Then, I have been saving these graphics in the PNG format (PNG-24). This format preserves the RGB values, and keeps the file size small.

Here are the links to the projects I have been working on so far:

I'll be working on more of these types of projects in the future...

Canadian Football League Team Colors

4/11/2009 12:46:00 PM • , • 0 comments

The CFL team colors are now updated:

I had forgotten how many confirmed color sets I had for this league...all of the current sets are official - plus one or more sets per team - and I do have official colors for all of the former American franchises. However, I have never gotten the official Pantones for the last iteration of the Ottawa Rough Riders (1995 through 1996), and the Rough Riders' shade of Metallic Gold used in 1994.

All Grey Cup logo colors are estimates.

If anyone has any additional insight, please let me know.

NFL Europa/NFL Europe/WLAF Team Colors

4/10/2009 05:26:00 PM • , , , • 0 comments

The NFL Europa/NFL Europe/WLAF team colors are up. Links:

The only team that I am missing official Pantone colors for is the England Monarchs. I do have the London Monarchs; that franchise changed names and colors for the 1998 season.

All other colors are official.

Web Graphics Using the sRGB Color Space

4/10/2009 01:02:00 PM • , , • 1 comments

One of the things that I have been doing over on Chris Creamer's Sports Logos message board, is with something that I have been calling "color-optimization" of graphics for display on computer monitors.

I have been taking vector-based graphics (EPS or AI format graphics) and "adjusting" the RGB values of the embedded Pantone/PMS values to more closely match what the spot colors would look like if they were printed using Pantone inks.

Adobe Illustrator (especially some of the pre-CS versions) perform a conversion to RGB from CMYK for monitor display. The CMYK conversions are wildly inaccurate for the most part. Newer versions of AI (CS*) convert from CIE-L*ab measurements which are much closer.

Pantone, Inc. has performed extensive Lab measurements of their spot (both PMS and Goe) and textile colors in order to most accurately simulate these colors in RGB. I store all of this information in my ColorWerx database, and use these values when "adjusting" the RGB values in graphics for on-screen usage.

For example, here is a comparison of the Utah Jazz of the NBA, and their logo that they used between 1996-1997 and 2003-2004:



Notice the dramatic differences between the Purple and Copper especially. The graphic on the bottom would very closely match this logo if it were printed using Pantone spot colors (e.g., using Pantone inks).

I have been able to utilize VBA scripting to create my own RGB swatch libraries for this purpose. From my database, I have created the following libraries:
  • PMS Solid Coated
  • PMS Solid Matte
  • PMS Solid Uncoated
  • PMS Solid Coated – Double Impression
  • PMS Metallics Coated
  • PMS Metallics Coated-Varnished
  • PMS Metallics Matte (what little values I have)
  • PMS Metallics Uncoated (again, what little values I have)
  • PMS Pastels Coated
  • PMS Pastels Uncoated
  • Goe Solid Coated
  • Goe Solid Uncoated
  • Textiles Cotton
  • Textiles Paper
In my mind - as someone who is NOT a graphic design professional, but more of a color science hobbyist - wouldn't you want to use the graphic on the bottom for web and broadcast use over the graphic on the top? Then, you would also need to produce a separate version for CMYK (using the CMYK values as specified in Pantone's Color Bridge guide).

More and more graphic designers are specifying separate graphics for video use, using the RGB values that Illustrator and/or Photoshop natively produces is NOT an accurate solution. I am hoping that my approach could someday be used on a wider scale.

Please - any and all suggestions, concerns, criticisms, corrections, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Tell me where I'm wrong (!)...

D-League Team Colors

4/09/2009 10:32:00 PM • , • 0 comments

I have updated the D-League colors:

National Basketball Development League

...and...

NBA Development League ("D-League")

For now, my database is set up to have separate league records, so when these leagues change names (as the D-League did), I have two separate leagues to update. I have been planning a re-design of my database which will take care of this issue.

For the D-League, all colors are confirmed; no estimates.

I think I'll move on to NFL Europa/NFL Europe/WLAF...

WNBA Team Colors

4/07/2009 04:31:00 PM • , , • 0 comments

The latest updates for the WNBA are now up:

Women's National Basketball Association

I think I have all of the WNBA teams' colors...don't really need anything else for this league (aside for some missing miscellaneous graphics, I suppose).

The D-League will be next...

Minnesota Fighting Pike

4/07/2009 04:08:00 PM • , , • 1 comments

I'm beginning to think that the Minnesota Fighting Pike of the Arena Football League - who only played in the 1996 season - might be one of the most obscure sports franchises of the modern era.

Not only are trying to find their Pantone values very difficult (all of the vector files I have just have CMYK values in them that don't match up with any known PMS colors), but even trying to find pictures of the team is almost impossible. I'd love to just get a couple of game-action pics of them - why is that so hard?

If anyone has any information, leads, etc., I'd be especially grateful.

AFL and af2 Team Colors

4/05/2009 04:23:00 PM • , , • 1 comments

OK...so now, the Arena Football League and arenafootball2 pages and images have been updated.

Links:

Arena Football League

...and...

arenafootball2

Here is a (rather long) list of AFL teams whose Pantones I still need official values for (I think that's bad English!):
  • Anaheim Piranhas (1996-1997)
  • Charlotte Rage (1992-1996)
  • Chicago Bruisers (1987-1989)
  • Cincinnati Rockers (1992-1993)
  • Connecticut Coyotes (1995-1996)
  • Denver Dynamite (1987; 1989-1991)
  • Fort Worth Cavalry (1994)
  • Iowa Barnstormers (1995-2000)
  • Las Vegas Sting (1994-1995)
  • Los Angeles Cobras (1988)
  • Maryland Commandos (1989)
  • Massachusetts Marauders (1994)
  • Memphis Pharaohs (1995-1996)
  • Miami Hooters (1993-1994; 1995)
  • Minnesota Fighting Pike (1996)
  • New England SeaWolves (1999-2000)
  • New England Steamrollers (1988)
  • New Jersey Red Dogs (1997-1999; 2000)
  • New York CityHawks (1997-1998)
  • New York Knights (1988)
  • Pittsburgh Gladiators (1987-1990)
  • Portland Forest Dragons (1997-1999)
  • Sacramento Attack (1992)
  • St. Louis Stampede (1995-1996)
  • Tampa Bay Storm (1991-1992)
  • Texas Terror (1996-1997)
  • Toronto Phantoms (2001-2002)
  • Washington Commandos (1987; 1990)

For the af2, it's a much smaller list (amazingly):

  • Amarillo Dusters (2009-present)
  • Baton Rouge Blaze (2001)
  • Charleston Swamp Foxes (2000-2001)
  • Iowa Barnstormers (2001; 2008-present)
  • Kentucky Horsemen (2009-present)
  • Lexington Horsemen (2008)
  • Lincoln Lightning (2001)
  • Milwaukee Iron (2009-present)
  • Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2008-present)
  • San Diego Riptide (2004-2005)
  • Toledo Bullfrogs (2010)

As always, if anyone has any information for me (or has any of the official vector graphics), please let me know

World Baseball Classic Colors

4/03/2009 08:33:00 PM • , , • 0 comments

I have updated my World Baseball Classic page to reflect the 2009 tournament:

World Baseball Classic

Curiously, a number of squads use slightly different colors for their uniforms as opposed to the official flag/country colors. I'm not sure why - it could have something to do with matching fabric colors, and the thread colors used for embroidering the flags on the sleeves.

Next up - the Arena Football League. However, I'm having trouble deciding whether or not to put end dates - 2008 - on all of the active teams. I think I'm going to leave the end dates open for now ("through present").

MLS Team Colors

4/02/2009 03:55:00 PM • , • 0 comments

The Major League Soccer team colors have been updated:

Major League Soccer

The majority of these color swatches are utilizing the official Pantone colors. I'm only missing a very small number of them. The Chicago Fire's alternate jersey color for example, is one that I still need. And, although I have most of them, I do need to sort out the San Jose Clash colors for once and for all.

If anyone has any insight, please feel free to let me know.