Australia’s biggest morning tea blue hits the courts

The dispute centres on the colour matching of a 475,000 print run for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea fund-raising campaign in 2004. It focuses on the role of the printer in deciding how to match a client’s proof when colour compromises have to be made in the printing process.

The $20,000 print job has already racked up considerable legal costs as the two sides argue over the signature colour of the background on the brochure. A battery of industry experts is being called to provide evidence on colour matching and printing practices.

For the DL brochure job in question the compromise reached by the printer between the skin tones and the blue sky proved unacceptable to the client who demanded a reprint through its print management company, PMA. Craft Printing, an IPMG company, claims the printing was performed to satisfaction and is suing PMA for its money. The job was printed on the company's Komori Lithrone 40.

Witnesses from the sales staff and the print room of Craft Printing gave evidence on the first morning that the job was printed in accordance with standard industry practices. In the absence of a press check by the client the decision was made by the printing staff to concentrate on getting the skin tones right for the figures in the foreground, rather than on the colour of the background.

Counsel for PMA argued that a better colour balance could have been struck and that the printed material did not match the Iris proof supplied. A subsequent test sheet was produced, which proved acceptable to PMA, but Craft decided against reprinting the job for free. PMA finally had to get another Sydney printer to do the job.

The case, which is still continuing, illustrates the changing role of the printer in these times of digital contract proofs and colour bars. Using traditional craft expertise to produce the ‘best’ print job, although it may not match the proof in all respects, is likely to prove increasingly contentious.

Cases such as the one underway are not uncommon in the industry, but are usually settled before they reach court. Given the kind of legal expenses incurred, printing for Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is proving to be more than a storm in a teacup. Many in the industry will wait upon the verdict with interest.