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Colour matching - not as simple as you'd think

A project log for PiDP-11

Replicating the PDP-11/70

oscarvOscarv 06/09/2016 at 22:353 Comments

The PDP-11 uses a very peculiar colour scheme. Getting the colours right is crucial to get that early '70s feeling across. Unfortunately, getting colour exactly right is much, much harder than you'd think. The problem starts with computer screens, which unless they are professionally calibrated do not show colours faithfully *at all*. Then, the manufacturer of my acrylic panels has the same problem, so I had to make a special acrylic bar with all possible colours to pick the right one.

And now, I have to make sure the switch manufacturer delivers the exact right colour. Today I went to a local specialist shop, and identified the near-perfect Pantone colours for the switch manufacturer.

That is, if anyone is ever interested, Pantone numbers 222 and 187. For fun or otherwise, below are colour sets I got off high-quality photos of the PDP-11. Even good cameras are off no matter what you do. Seriously, that is how far off you get without 'professional' colour calibration. It illustrates the misery of colour matching:

I just hope the switch guys are precise with their colour matching. Otherwise, the test sample (minimum size 4000 switches!) will be a very expensive write-off :(

Discussions

Patrick wrote 04/05/2017 at 04:05 point

For future pdp color schemes, this guy did the work: http://www.chdickman.com/pdp8/DECcolors/

It's out of the DEC Standard 092, the EL-00092-00-0_F_Finish_and_Color_Standard_Dec82.pdf.

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Oscarv wrote 08/04/2016 at 03:52 point

Jean Pierre,

Yes - there's progress! :) The switches are done, and I'll receive them next month for a first batch of kits. I'm actually exhibiting a fully functional prototype with the replica switches at the VCF West this weekend. All that needs to be done is an injection-molded case. Slated for September...

Regards, Oscar.

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Jean Pierre Le Rouzic wrote 08/03/2016 at 17:15 point
Hi Oscar, Summer time should indeed be used to meet family and friends and outdoor acitvities, but is there by chance any news from your project?

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