Which white is the agreed white?

I have encountered feedback that a new white sample does not look like the previous one, while everyone on the team believes they are following “the agreed white”. Sending another set of samples may not settle the disagreement. First, we need to establish whether both sides are comparing against the same reference.

The habit I took from these discussions is to turn a description into physical references and a record that both sides can use.

Establish what is being compared

I ask whether the customer is comparing against an approved reference, an earlier production batch or a photograph on a screen. I then identify the component, material, surface treatment and sample revision. Colour, translucency, gloss and local surface marks deserve separate questions rather than one label: “wrong colour”.

Photographs help locate a concern. For acceptance, we still need agreed observation conditions and physical references. Otherwise one team may be adjusting colour while the other is concerned about translucency or gloss.

Agree a usable range

A single ideal sample does not explain how to judge the edge of an acceptable production range. I ask quality and engineering colleagues to propose suitable physical references, then seek customer confirmation of the centre reference, the limits and the conditions that require rejection.

This does not mean putting obvious defects inside the acceptable range. A limit reference should let both sides judge the same feature in the same location. A sample with a different finish or a mark in another place is not an equivalent reference.

Actions for the next project

1. Identify whether the issue is colour, translucency, gloss or a local mark.
2. Label the centre and limit references with the component and revision.
3. Agree observation conditions, decision makers and scope; retain the approval record.
4. Use that version for inspection and notify the relevant teams when it changes.

A useful next question would be:

Which revision of the reference sample are you comparing against? Does the concern also involve translucency or gloss? We can prepare centre and limit references under the same observation conditions for joint confirmation.

My takeaway: a shared reference is more useful than repeatedly saying that everyone knows which white we mean.

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Drawn from my working records. Project context and identifying details have been removed. These notes keep the question and reusable actions without disclosing a specific project outcome.