Q I'm trying to find out about a new international colour system, which I think is called CSI or something like that. Some people in the fashion industry are gravitating towards it because they say that Pantone changes its references year on year. Is that true?
LR, via email

A I wouldn't say it's true that Pantone changes its references every year... they did update the system a couple of years ago when they introduced Pantone Goe, which featured 2,000 new colours and some new colour matching tools. There was something of a hoo-hah at the time because of potential colour mismatches due to a lack of clarity over the RGB colour space being used, but as far as I know this was all ironed out fairly quickly. I hadn't heard of CSI before, but am now equipped with some more information having done a bit of research. Color Solutions International has a nifty offering called ColorWall involving 4,000 predetermined shades that seems to have particular appeal for people involved with fashion, textiles and interior design. It's very clever - you can pick out colour selections of your own choosing using the Lab colour space, and then order accurate fabric swatches of your bespoke palette all with a few clicks of the mouse. You can even upload an image and then pick colours from within that. I can see why it's a hit with the fashionistas. More at www.csicolorsearch.com

Q Who prints playing cards? I'm guessing it might need to be digital as the job is only likely to involve 250 packs or so, but with custom branding for a promotion.
Name and address supplied

A As far as I know, your typical digital printing operation won't be geared up to produce playing cards because of the specialist finishing and collating required. Here are some suppliers who definitely are set up for it: Richard Edward 020 8311 8888 www.richard-edward.com; and Games & Print Services 01268 511522 www.gamesandprint.co.uk. You might also want to try Ivory Graphics www.ivorygraphics.co.uk 0800 458 4137, which has set up a separate online presence for its bespoke playing cards offering at ‘does what it says on the tin' www.personalisedplayingcards.com. It offers personalisation on one or both sides, with a clear pricing structure that starts at £10.49 for one pack with single-sided personalisation. If you order 100 packs the unit price is £3.25 personalised on one side, or £4.23 for custom print on each side.