The King of Color

I recently had the chance to preview the new documentary movie “The King of Color,” and speak with both its director, Patrick Creadon, as well as one of the featured stars of the film, Sean Adams, Dean of Art and Communication at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. The movie follows the life of Larry Herbert, the inventor of the Pantone Matching System.

Herbert, who is 95, bankrolled the film, noting in the beginning that he wanted to tell his own story, in his own words, while he still can. It is a fascinating look at his journey and the factors that drove him first to the print industry, then to his love of color, and how his drive for both being an inventor and an entrepreneur led to the Pantone matching system we all know and use today.

Even with more than 20 years in this industry, I learned a few new things watching it, and it was truly fascinating to see how it all evolved.

But how did it all come about? Creadon notes, “I was introduced to Larry by a mutual friend, and Larry had just turned 95 years old, and he really, really, really wanted to tell his story. And the minute you meet Larry in the movie — and frankly, the minute I met him in person — I was like, A, he has a great story. And B, he just has a really fun energy, and that's a that's a terrific combination if you're making a documentary film. So, it felt like a really good fit.”

That said, Creadon notes that while Herbert is a self-described “control freak” he is as well, and he only agreed to the project if he had the final cut. And the result is a fantastic blend of documentary about one man’s life story, and a technical look at print and the evolution of color matching.

And on that front, Adams laughs that if he had been making the film, it would have been way too technical for anyone to follow. Blending storytelling around such an intensely complicated process is a hard balance to strike, and Creadon and his team did a great job with it, even tracking down details, clips, and photographs from as far back as the 1930s, when Herbert was born, to help illustrate and bring the narrative to life.

Adams notes, “For the printing community, I think it reinforces how incredibly rare it is to be an amazingly good printer. It is a hard job, and it requires super amazing technique. And we all know there are printers out there that just run anything through the press. But the really good ones are going to be obsessed about [things like] ‘should we add a little bit more density, pull back a little bit more density?’ And I think this just validates that you're not crazy. This is important. And let's even push further and make it even more incredible, which, as you know, working with the best printers always is.”

At the end of the day, it’s a story about one man, yes, but it’s also about the print industry and how it has come from one-color letterpress to the digital presses of today. And that is a satisfying thing to watch unfold.

Creadon notes, “I think that when you're watching a movie, whether it's a documentary film or a James Bond movie, or some mystery that needs to be solved, the audience enjoys solving a problem. … And I think ultimately that's at the heart of Larry's story. He started as a craftsman, and there were problems in printing that were frustrating, and he figured out a way to solve them. And I just think, whether you're from a printing background, and you work in that space or not, I think there's something really satisfying about that, and I think that's what audiences have really connected with.”

Right now, the film is only in theaters, with showings in New York and Los Angeles. Be sure to check out the official website for information about additional theaters and ways to watch in the future.