I know what the color of the spark plug should be, cardboard brown, but which part of the plug do you check for the right color?
Is it the ring on the bottom of the plugwhere the thread starts or the side electrode or center electrode or the insulater. Pics will be appricated

 

It can be a real hassle for most of us to do a plug chop and examine the plugs, but heres a really good article on reading spark plugs.
reading spark plugs article
I usually just go by the drivability symptoms...or lack there of.