Pantones and Color Matching

ACE TIPS: PANTONES &
COLOR MATCHING

Understanding Color

Color can be a subjective and challenging topic, both in the digital and physical world. There are many factors that affect the way the eye perceives color, and not every person will perceive a color as exactly the same.

Meeting Expectations

When it comes to printing, there are numerous challenges in meeting client expectations. For one, the design is being created on a computer, being viewed on a backlit RGB screen; while the print is reflective CMYK, made using a distinct combination of ink and media. This is one of many important factors that impact the perceived color difference between the computer screen and a physical print.

Color in Printing:
The Arrow vs. The Target

Printing color should be viewed as an arrow, not a target. The same color values will yield different outcomes when printed with different printers, inks, and medias. Creating a design file with a specific color in mind is like providing the arrows, but leaving the target up to the outcome of the combination of printer, ink and media. If an exact target is not specified, then we cannot control the outcome in a defined way.

The Role of Pantone Color Matching

This is where Pantones come in. If your graphic print needs to be a specific target color, the only way for us to control the outcome is to add a Pantone Color Match to your order. The Pantone color serves as the target color, giving us a specific color to "aim" at. If a Pantone Color Match is not added to your order, you are leaving the printed color up to the output of the printer, inks and media.

The Pantone Matching System (PMS)

The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a solid color communication system that allows specific target colors to be easily understood and communicated across locations, devices and printing methods. By specifying a Pantone target color, you can be confident that the printed output will match your expectations (as closely as possible.)

Pantone Reference Book:
Your Color Library

Pantone makes a series of reference books with thousands of precisely printed target colors. These books can be purchased to use as a physical reference. We recommend using the Pantone "Bridge" book – it is the most useful, since it shows the Pantone target color side-by-side with the closest CMYK version of that same color. This allows you to choose a target color while seeing a realistic example of how this color will be reproduced with CMYK printing.

NOTE: Some Pantone colors can be more closely matched than others. When a Color Match is added to your order, we will do our best to get as close as possible to your target color. The Pantone Bridge book helps you see clearly which colors can be closely matched, and which cannot.