The Ruby Mica Swiss Color Samples 947 / 247

[Subix]

So, Halistan was very kind in allowing me to witness these samples first hand with my own eyes. I will be posting pictures and video later when time permits. Before I make my final decision, I still need more natural lighting (today is not a day for that heh). That decision being if I even want to bother with this color, honestly.

Sadly, my initial impressions are sort of torn. I feel the pictures online to be very misleading and the actual images prior to Halistan's samples to be overly enhanced and/or not of that at all to be this color with only one (the one in the shop) closely resembling these colors. They look very burgundy but with a slight hint of the crimson. Other factors that could play a role are the actual paint used, which is PPG (or so the card on the back would lead me to believe) and again, I stress my current lighting conditions.

The samples appear to have little to no metallic in them, which could also be the reason? I haven't read up enough to know whether or not these have metallic in them and if so it appears to be very low. Halistan probably knows much more about the samples at hand and can chime in here with any additional info. I'll reserve extending my current disappointed feelings until I can properly evaluate these further when time and lighting permits.

Ultimately, if the only time you can get this car to actually look like it does in these following 2 pictures is by taking a picture (with flash) or heavily enhancing the images, then this isn't the color for me or for what I was hoping for. The 3rd image seems like what it will realistically look like in the end. It would be awesome if we can find the origination of these photos and ask the owner himself. Stay tuned for more pictures and video to follow.

[STeeL25T]

Keep us posted. I've also loved this color since I first saw it.

[Sean486]

Originally Posted by STeeL25T

Keep us posted. I've also loved this color since I first saw it.

Yes, a much nicer color than any of the US ones (IMHO) and looks great with the black roof.

[RojoRocket]

Originally Posted by STeeL25T

Keep us posted. I've also loved this color since I first saw it.

Yep, if that color could be duplicated I would jump on it in a nanosecond! Just gorgeous, and maybe less subject to "Red fade" than the USDM original reds. Wonder how it would blend with roof and tail in the Ebony Mica Pearl?

Glenn

[halistan]

Not to get your hopes up, but my first impression was similar to yours when I picked them up from the shop. I thought they were too dark (burgundy) but i was inside and the lighting was only mediocre at best. Get some sunlight on them and I think you'll be surprised how much of a change they go through. Much like the Barcelona Red that is on my 93, these colors change greatly with the lighting. The "Bluer" one will always be darker though, but the Standard and Clearer ones really do seem to glimmer in the sunlight. Those colors were made for sunny environments i think.

Originally Posted by Subix

So, Halistan was very kind in allowing me to witness these samples first hand with my own eyes. I will be posting pictures and video later when time permits. Before I make my final decision, I still need more natural lighting (today is not a day for that heh). That decision being if I even want to bother with this color, honestly.

[Conn SVX]

Almost the same color as my Acura TL ... Looks like a Honda color.

[BRADY]

That is the colour of MY SVX.

Need more photos?

I believe it to be the sexiest colour that an SVX came in from the factory.

Mike

[dcarrb]

Subaru had a "mica ruby" in the US market for at least the 1989 model year (my ex and I bought an '89 GL 3-door in that color). Same?

dcb

[Green1995SVX]

Pardon me while I clean up all the drool.

[JDW-SVX]

Originally Posted by halistan

Get some sunlight on them and I think you'll be surprised how much of a change they go through. Much like the Barcelona Red that is on my 93, these colors change greatly with the lighting.

Very true - the Ruby Mica paint colour can change noticeably depending on the angle from which it is viewed, and the lighting conditions.

Have a look at these photos and you will see what I mean.






Jason.

[Subix]

So here are a few shots in the room with good/better lighting, some with flash, some with just regular lighting:






And some more examples I found online:






While I almost don't think it's necessary at this point, I can take more later with natural outside light if the sun ever decides to come out... until then, these are it. I am confident on the Clear version though now. I think that's definitely the color to go. I did have my doubts at first but this should be it! Thanks for the extra pics Jason - I can safely assume that is your SVX?

[JDW-SVX]

Originally Posted by Subix

Thanks for the extra pics Jason - I can safely assume that is your SVX?

It certainly is - but I must admit that I prefer the colour of my other one.....





Jason.

[dbarnblatt]

Originally Posted by Subix

So here are a few shots in the room with good/better lighting, some with flash, some with just regular lighting:

While I almost don't think it's necessary at this point, I can take more later with natural outside light if the sun ever decides to come out... until then, these are it. I am confident on the Clear version though now. I think that's definitely the color to go. I did have my doubts at first but this should be it! Thanks for the extra pics Jason - I can safely assume that is your SVX?

What you are trying to do is a very (if not impossible) thing to do. You are taking pictures of color chips that are kind of close, under various lighting conditions that are not indicated, the images then are not color corrected and then they are put up on a board to view by members with computer monitors that are also not color corrected to to view your images... as well as the entire subject matter is completely subjective. It can be frustrating!

Looking at the colors under various tungsten or fluorescent lights, will throw the color off as the temperature of that light is warmer (yellower or greener) than sunlight.

The color should be evaluated under daylight conditions (where the car will spend most of it's time.) A lightly cloudy day or better in shade with indirect sunlight bouncing from a white card or large white reflector is probably the best condition to evaluate the color.

A camera flash is very close (almost a perfect match) to the color temperature of sunlight. A good and reliable way to evaluate the colors photographically is to shoot the paint chips on top of a clean white or neutral 18% gray background (best to use photo background paper, not a painted wall or table as a "white" wall might nor be real white). Do this in a room that has some indirect sunlight coming in, turn off all the tungsten lights, and set up a flash with some diffusion or bounce the flash into a white reflector to soften and diffuse the light (don't aim it directly at the paint samples). Then bring the images into photoshop and balance the white background to a perfect white or if an 18% gray background to perfect gray and there you will have a pretty close image.

I'd go with the deepest and richest red of the lot. I'd steer clear of anything that comes close to "strawberry."

[Conn SVX]

Driving around I have been checking out all the different Manufactures versions of the Ruby Red Mica. The last time I choose a color for a car that is what I did . When I found the car with the color I liked I researched that color at the auto paint store. You can see that color in different lights. Once you know the year and make , you can find that car make and color in different locations and in different lighting conditions. Just a suggestion .
Pictures of a color are hard to do as explained above . I video weddings and when the bride gets the video one of the comments I get is that the brides maids dresses are not the right color .
Example my Laguna Blue is a different color every day so it seems anyway....

[svxcess]

These are all good, valuable suggestions.

Having been an art director, with extensive experience in print and television, I can attest to the complexity of color.

Projects designed for print call for different approaches than projects designed for television. And there is a different set of protocols that are needed for the web.



As far as choosing automotive colors go, a large color swatch or spray-out of the actual paint is the only true way to determine a paint color's accuracy.

Photos of the color swatches, or actual cars in the desired color, posted on the web or seen on television, is the least accurate.



Television, computer screens and the like use "transmitted light" to simulate these colors. These may vary due to the temperature settings of your computer or TV, and look different from one device to the next.

Color-corrected glossy photographs are a little better, using "reflective light" from the print (similar to the way paint is viewed. But they lack depth and can only show the metallics, pearls and clearcoat on the same plane, using a single light source and camera position.



Actual paint on a hard surface is based on "reflected light" and more indicative of what you will see in the real world. The Ferrari dealer in DC has color swatches of the actual paint, on large 1' x 2' metal panels. They have been clear-coated and buffed to give an accurate representation of what you will get. The same is true of their large swatches of the various leathers. These can be placed side-by-side to easily see how various combinations work. Observed at different angles and under different lighting to see low the color changes constantly.

You will never see just a small swatch of about 4" x 6", or a color chart printed in a brochure, to select from.



Anyone who saw the actual PPG Pace Car at Reading X can attest to this.

We have seen many images this car, both on the web, actual videos, or printed in publications. The colors were nothing like what we saw on that sunny weekend in the real world.


.