Pantone is the standard when it comes to color management. It is used worldwide for color communication, selection, matching, and calibration across industries that include printing, manufacturing, fashion, product, and graphic design.
It is an incredibly useful tool for designers, but for newbies, it can be hard to understand or use. We understand your confusion, which is why we wrote this guide to help you use Pantone color books and the Pantone Matching System.
Pantone, the Company
Pantone is the company behind Pantone colors, the standard color matching system that solved the confusion behind colors having different shades and hues. How did it solve the problem? Through chemistry and by assigning numeric codes to all spot colors.
It all started with a company called the M & J Levine Advertising in the 1950s. It was owned by two brothers who hired Lawrence Herbert to handle the business’s printing size. It was Herbert who systemized the company’s ink production with his chemistry prowess.
Eventually, Herbert bought the technology he developed, started the Pantone company, and the rest is history. To this day, Pantone is the recognized authority for color matching, mixing, and consulting, as well as color trend forecasting.
What Are Pantone Color Guides Used for?
As we said before, Pantone is used in numerous industries. The Pantone Color Guides, as the name suggests, help guide designers and professionals in making sure their projects have accurate and consistent colors.
To help you understand, here’s a brief explanation of the guides’ usage:
Color Selection
The biggest use of Pantone is for selecting colors in design projects. The Pantone color guides make it so much easier for designers to find colors that are accurate for their projects, whether it’s creating a brand identity or manufacturing a new bag.
Color Communication
Designers use Pantone color guides as a reference tool when they show clients the colors that will be used in the project or product. The guides allow the designers to indicate accurate colors, allowing everyone to understand clearly what the project’s color scheme is.
Color Matching
One of the difficulties in the packaging and printing industries is the matching of colors. Pantone helps with this issue through specific ink combinations. With these ink combinations, print runs can have accurately matched colors through different materials and substrates.
Color Calibration
Along with color management systems, Pantone color guides calibrate printing equipment and computer monitors to the right colors. It helps make sure that what the screen shows or the printer produces has colors as close to the Pantone color intended.
Quality Control
We said before that Pantone is the standard when it comes to colors. This helps with quality control because designers and manufacturers can simply compare their colors with the Pantone color guides. Comparing with Pantone colors ensures you meet your ideal color specifications.
Color Trend Forecasting
As the standard, Pantone also provides color trend forecasting every year. The trends and forecasts it releases influence numerous industries, such as interior design and fashion. With Pantone color guides, designers and professionals can stay up-to-date about the color trends to use in their projects.
Color Education
Of course, Pantone color guides are also used in color education. Being the standard, they are the best tools to teach color theory and management. In design schools, they teach Pantone colors and how to use them in color communication and matching.
Pantone Dictionary
To understand Pantone colors better, here are definitions and explanations of some of the terms you will encounter when using the guides:
Spot Color
Single, uniform colors are called spot or solid colors. It’s the opposite of process colors (CMYK), which are four different ink colors that make up a full spectrum of colors. Spot colors come in two types – the in-house or bucket colors (standard) or the Pantone Matching System (mixed specifically into a formula). They can also refer to simply Pantone colors or specialty inks like neon or metallic.
Process Color aka CMYK
In printing, the method of creating different colors with only four or more inks is called process color. This method is also called the four-color process, 4/c process, or CMYK, which stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, the four colors used in the process. It’s based on the CMY (cyan, magenta, and yellow) color model, but mixing the three results in imperfect black, so black ink was added to the mix.
RGB
RGB is a color model often used in digital media. It stands for Red, Green, and Blue, which are the primary colors combined to create more colors in this color system. The values of red, blue, and green light, ranging from 0 to 244, define RGB colors. The given values in Pantone color guides help you find the closest color that matches them in the RGB model.
HEX
HEX is short for Hexadecimal and another color system used in digital media. It is a base-16 numbering system with six digits representing a color. Each of them ranges from 0 to 9 or A to F starting with a hash symbol (#). Pantone color guides also have HEX values in them, which allows professionals to find a close match of HEX colors among Pantone colors.
Fan Deck
This is a deck of Pantone colors, one of the most common forms of color guides. It’s a popular form because its pages are easier to use. You can just flip through all the color pages to pick and compare swatches. Fan decks are a great tool for selecting, communicating, and visualizing the colors you want for your project.
Chip Book
Chip books are another format that Pantone colors are available in. Unlike fan decks that can actually look like fans, chip books are rectangular books in three-ring binders. Another difference is they have tear-out chips you can rip off for easy comparison of colors.
Additive Color
When you mix various colors made of light, the result is called additive color. An example of this is RGB colors. Mobile phones, tablets, televisions, and computers all use additive colors.
Subtractive Color
You get a subtractive color when you mix inks, dyes, and pigments. Its name comes from the fact that when you mix the colors, they subtract from each other. Colors used in printing, packaging, and fabric are subtractive colors. Process (CMYK) colors are a good example of subtractive colors.
Pantone Color Systems
This refers to the color systems developed by Pantone, which provides designers, manufacturers, and other professionals with a global language of color they can use for their creative work. Pantone is the company and Pantone color systems are the color language the company developed. Sometimes, people just call them Pantone or Pantone colors.
Pantone has two color systems – Pantone Matching System and Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors (FHI) System.
Pantone Matching System (PMS)
Pantone Matching System or PMS is the color system used more often for marketing and branding. It has a wide array of colors to choose from ideal for digital printing, print, and packaging. PMS is easily available in color books and swatches, along with various add-ons, extensions, and even apps.
Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors (FHI) System
This is the more advanced color system, designed more for manufacturing professionals and industries such as soft goods, apparel cosmetics, and paints. It employs unique coding and is far more extensive, having more blacks, whites, and neutrals. You can get the FHI system in color book, swatch formats, and fabric swatches.
More About the Pantone Matching System
Used to standardize the way color is reproduced, the Pantone Matching System has 1,867 spot colors and almost 5000 different shades and hues in it. Each of the spot colors has a given number, code, and formula. The formula is used to mix the color using 13 base pigments, done following a specific ratio.
As we said, Pantone colors are used for color calibration. It happens when ink companies, product manufacturers, and other professionals tweak the formula with their own base pigments. Consistency is achieved thanks to every PMS color having a perfect match in RGB (screen-based), CMYK (process printing), and Hex (HTML color) formula.
This way, it is so much easier to find the matching color between Pantone and another color model. Knowing there is not just one single red, blue, yellow, or any color, it would be really difficult to match colors if they were not standardized. PMS eliminated this problem, preventing discrepancies with printed colors that usually happen with CMYK usage.
What Are Pantone Color Guides?
Pantone color guides are the physical tool used as a reference for color communication and selection. If you remember, we mentioned that the PMS is available in color books and swatches and those are what the Pantone color guides are.
These books display hundreds or thousands of colors that you can pick and show to your client to convey the shades you need for your project. While you use the Pantone color guides to select and communicate colors, the PMS is used for calibrating and reproducing them.
Different Types of Pantone Color Guides
There are different types of Pantone color guides you can use for your creative projects. Let me tell you more about these guides in the
Pantone Formula Guide
The Formula Guide is the most commonly used Pantone color guide. It has all the 1,867 Pantone Spot Colors and the ink formulations of each. Besides matching with CMYK, RGB, and HEX color models, it also has matches to the Pantone FHI system. The Formula Guide comes in coated and uncoated versions.
Pantone Color Bridge
The Pantone Color Bridge has all the features of the Formula Guide. It also has a coated and uncoated version. But besides that, Color Bridge has the added feature of letting you see how a spot color translates into its CMYK, RGB, and HEX matches. It provides the values for all three color models, making it an invaluable tool for designers.
Pantone Metallics
Pantone also has a metallics color guide. It consists of 655 metallic colors you can use for your print, marketing, branding, and packaging projects. The beauty of the guide is it details ways to amplify the colors for dynamic results on your projects. It is easy to use, high quality, and accessible wherever you go.
Pantone Pastels & Neon
There’s a color guide perfect for projects that need even more dazzling visuals – the Pantone Pastel & Neons. The guide comes with 154 pastels and 56 neon colors available in both coated and uncoated versions. Like the other guides, its colors are clearly labeled and formulations are printed. It also has an organization index for easy color comparison, communication, and consistency.
Pantone Solid Chips
This is the chip book Pantone guide format we mentioned before. As we said, this has tear-out chips, which can either be coated or uncoated. Pantone Solid chips are a great color guide as it’s easy to use for comparing and communicating colors with its tearable swatches.
Pantone CMYK Guide
The Pantone CMYK guide features a gamut of colors you can create through the CMYK process, hence the name. If you need Pantone colors for your print materials, this is a helpful color guide you can use.
Pantone Fashion, Home + Interior (FHI) Color Guide
We have briefly mentioned the Pantone Fashion, Home + Interior (FHI) system before. This color guide is based on that color system and is used for soft goods, textiles, and home décor. It has 2,626 colors relevant to the fashion, home, and interior industries, available in two fan decks for easy use.
Coated vs. Uncoated Colors
We have mentioned before that some of the color guides have coated and uncoated versions. You will know it is a coated stock when you see the letter C printed on it. Similarly, uncoated stocks have a U letter printed. The biggest difference between these two types of surfaces is that the coated stock is glossy while the uncoated stock is matte.
Since they are different surfaces, the same color of ink will not appear the same when applied to them. A Pantone color with the same number will not match when applied on matte packaging and glossy paper. But thanks to Pantone having coated and uncoated color guides, you can compare colors to ensure the results are as intended.
Which Pantone Book Guide to Use?
There are many Pantone book guides you can choose from for your creative projects. But how do you know which of these books you should use? Well, it all depends on what you need. If you work in printing, the Pantone Color Bridge book is an excellent choice. But if you are in the fashion industry, the FHI color guide works for you.
Pantone Colors for Printing and Digital Design
If you need to choose and match colors for marketing, screen-printing, logos, or packaging, the color system that works for you is the PMS range. You can use the colors in this system for paper or film printing, as well as digital products. There’s a problem, though. While some printers can use some Pantone codes, most of them can’t, or it’s really expensive to do it.
You probably already have an idea, but you will need to convert for this to work. In this case, the Pantone Color Bridge is an incredibly useful guide. This guide not all has the CMYK values you need, but also a direct comparison of how Pantone colors will look when you print them using the CMYK process.
Pantone Colors for Textiles and Apparel
Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors (FHI) system is the color guide for textiles. Within this system, interior and fashion designers can easily determine the right colors for your projects using the TCX, TPG, and TPX codes. These codes stand for Textile Cotton (TCX), Textile Paper “Green” (TPG), and Textile Paper (TPX).
TPX and TPG
TPX is the paper swatch color guide with various unique colors. It was cheaper than TCX but has already been discontinued in 2015. It was replaced by TPG, which is the more sustainable version. It has the same colors as TPX but has been updated to be eco-friendly by removing any chromium and lead content.
TCX
This is the cotton swatch book that works well for color matching of trims and fabrics. This color guide is available in a sort of chip set or passport book format. Inside the book are little pieces of cotton fabric swatches in different colors for easy matching and comparison.
These swatches stick to the book through a double-sided tape, so you can remove them when needed (although not advised). If you want removable swatches, there are larger versions of the same book but are more expensive.
Now you know the basics of Pantone colors, from the different color systems to the different color guides. Let’s find out more about what pieces of information you can find in a Pantone book and how to use them.
Page Layout and Organization
It’s good to know the different parts of a color guide so you can use it properly:
Cover
The first part is the protective cover, which displays the logo and branding of the Pantone company.
Index
The index is the part of the color guide where all the colors are listed in numerical order. The Formula. It will help you find a specific color quicker through its assigned number.
Color Pages
The color pages comprise most of the color guide. Each page contains different shades and variations of a particular Pantone color. Like the index, the colors are listed numerically with one or more color swatches and include other important information. The color pages consist of either color chips or swatches.
Color Information
Color guides include various information about all the thousands of colors they sample. The information you can find includes the color name, Pantone number, some description, and formulations. It should include the color’s RGB values, CMYK breakdown, and HEX codes.
Color Sections/Themes
Some guides or editions may have some sections devoted to particular themes or color families. For instance, it may have a separate section for pastel colors, or warm tones.
Quick Reference Guide
Here’s a quick guide of the color information you will find in a color guide:
Color Name and Number
Pantone colors are assigned a unique color name and number. For instance, we have Emerald with the Pantone number 17-5641, Classic Blue with Pantone number 19-4052, and Fire Engine Red with Pantone 199C.
CMYK, RGB, HTML Color Codes
We already talked about CMYK, RGB, and HTML (HEX) color codes in the previous sections. Here we’ll show you what these color codes look like so you will know what to look for. Let’s take Emerald as an example:
- CMYK: The CMYK values of Emerald may look like C=100, M=0, Y=65, K=0.
- RGB:Pantone Emerald has an RGB equivalent of R=0, G=148, B=115.
- HEX: The hex code of the Pantone Emerald color is #009473.
Color Chips and Swatches
Color chips and swatches are both physical samples, but slightly different in the material they are printed on. Usually, color chips are made of specially coated plastic or the exact material to be used in production. On the other hand, color swatches are often paper or fabric printed using high-quality ink to show color accuracy.
How to Properly Use Pantone Color Guides
Now that you have your color samples and Pantone color guide, what next? Do you have an idea how to use them? If you’re not familiar with using Pantone color guides, here are some pointers and instructions to get you started.
Study the Pantone Matching System
Before anything else, be sure you are familiar with Pantone color systems (PMS and FHI). This way, you can understand what the information on the guides is, what the color codes and values mean, etc. Good thing we have them covered here, so feel free to review them.
Get the Right Pantone Color Guide
Once you understand what Pantone colors are, you can choose the right Pantone color guide for your project. You can read the information we mentioned about the guides at the beginning of this guide, or you can browse through Pantone’s website.
Use the Correct Lighting
Proper lighting is important when using color guides to guarantee accuracy. As such, make sure you work in a well-lit area and use natural light as much as possible. You can also use the Pantone Lighting Indicator to find optimal daylight conditions.
Compare Color Swatches or Chips
If you have a color in mind for your project, check the Pantone swatches or chips to see which one matches the closest. Look for the hue, saturation, and brightness values that most closely resemble the color you are thinking about.
Remember the Pantone Number
Once you’ve decided on your color scheme, note the Pantone numbers for each color. For your own reference and to share with all the relevant professionals, put them in writing or make a note of them on your phone.
Use the Pantone Number to Communicate and Reproduce the Colors
It is simpler to explain a Pantone color to customers, designers, printers, and manufacturers thanks to its unique number. Use it to calibrate your printer and design software precisely so they produce the desired results.
Remember Color Variations and Limitations
Pantone colors help preserve color accuracy and consistency during production, but they still have limitations. Due to human error or the printing process used, the colors may still appear differently after printing. As such, ensure that communicate and collaborate with the printer at every stage of the production.
Conclusion
Designers and manufacturers find it easier to communicate, choose, and reproduce colors with accuracy and consistency with the help of Pantone color guides. These make them indispensable tools for any creative work. So, if you want to improve the quality and marketability of your design projects, we encourage you to use Pantone colors.
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