Colour management can brighten up VARs

Distributor claims VARs can use the market as a differentiator

Resellers that are looking for a differentiator should get into the colour-management market, according to manufacturer and distributor Colour Confidence.

Geoffrey Clements, managing director of Colour Confidence, said colour management is about configuring printers, screens and toners in the correct way to help end-users achieve the best results.

“If you display a digital photograph on a PC screen the colours can often

look vibrant, but when the picture is printed out they will look completely different,” he said. “Every PC screen is set up differently. By using a mixture of colour-management software and hardware to calibrate the screen and printer, end-users can get the colour right.

“We have been operating in colour management for about 10 years. It has traditionally been a very specialist area: only about 20 resellers dealt in it. But in the past 12 months products have become more accessible and prices more affordable.”

Colour Confidence launched its Confident Reseller programme last year. It has about 120 VARs on board, including dabs.com, but Clements is hoping to sign up a lot more.

“Colour management really is an area that can differentiate resellers from their competitors,” he said. “Although resellers in digital imaging are well placed, any type of VAR could sell colour management. We offer full technical and sales support, as well as training and marketing assistance.”

Jason Harcourt, senior analyst at Context, said: “I’ve not heard of Colour Confidence. Colour management is quite a niche area. I would have thought resellers in graphic design would be interested in working with them.”

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