Frequently Asked Questions
about Pantone®
What is Pantone?
What does PMS stand for?
What is CMYK?
What is SWOP?
What is the difference between solid spot colors
and process colors?
Where can I find the
Solid to Process Guide?
Why can't I view Pantone colors online?
What is the difference between fan guides and chip
guides?
What kind of guide do I need?
Where do I get Pantone paint?
How do I find out
which Process color corresponds to the Solid color I need to match?
I ordered a job in Solids
(for instance, 185C, and a 347C) but when I got it back, I was
very disappointed. The colors appeared dull and washed out.
What happened?
Does Pantone ever change
their color numbers?
How often should I replace
my guide?
Which guide do I need for
silk screen printing?
Can I get replacement
pages or chips?
What is Pantone?
PANTONE® is the standard language for color identification
and communication and the worldwide expert on color. Pantone color
guides allow clients, designers, and manufacturers to select,
specify, match, and control color in many diverse applications.
For detailed info on Pantone palettes, and products, click
here.
What does PMS stand for?
PMS stands for PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM®. The Pantone Matching
System is a reference system for controlling ink colors. The PMS
system only applies to the solid color palette. When a client
specifies PMS 300 Blue, they are specifying a Pantone Solid ink
color.
What is CMYK?
CMYK refers to four-color process printing, using Cyan, Magenta,
Yellow, and Black inks. When a client references CMYK, they are
referring to the Process palette.
What is SWOP?
SWOP is an acronym for Specifications Web Offset Publications.
These specifications usually refer to web offset four-color printing
(Process colors).
What is the different between Spot and Process color?
Solid or "Spot" colors are printed with a single color,
using a Pantone solid color ink. Process colors are printed using
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black inks, on a four-color Process
printing press or digital press.
Where can I find the Solid to Process Guide?
The Solid to Process Guide has been replaced
with the new PANTONE color bridge, which can be ordered on our
Solids Page.
Why can't I view Pantone colors online?
Color is very subjective, which is why the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM®
works so well. It takes all the guess work out of color identification.
Every computer monitor is different, every printer is different.
Unless your equipment is calibrated with Pantone's Spyder calibration
software, which can be purchased, the color depicted on your screen
will not be accurate and could be many shades off.
What is the difference between fan guides and chip guides?
Fan guides have "fan out" pages, and contain a color
sample of the specified Pantone color.
View fanguide page here. Chips books are in three ring binders,
and contain a color sample of the specified Pantone color, with
six tear out chips of each color. View
Chip page here
What kind of guide do I need?
That depends on how you need to use it. Pantone offers four different
color palettes.
Solids, also known as Spot colors, or PMS colors.
The Solid numbers appear as three or four digit numbers and may
have a C (coated), a U (uncoated), or a M (matte) after the number.The
Solid palette is offered in a fan guide format or in a ring binder
format with six tear out chips per color. Metallics is part of
the Solids palette but has its own guide. The numbers are of the
8000 series. Pastels is part of the Solids palette but has its
own guide. The numbers are of the 9000 series.
Process, also known as 4-color process, or CMYK
(cyan, magenta, yellow, black). The process numbers have a DS
in front of them. The Process palette is offered in a fan guide
format (coated and uncoated) or in a ring binder format (coated
only) with six tear out chips per color.
There is a Color Bridge conversion guide. The Solid colors are
listed down the left side of the page with their corresponding
4-color Process formulas down the right side of the page. This
way, if you are specifying a Solid color but the print job will
be ran in 4-color process, you can see what the end result will
be. Some Solid colors translate well into 4-color process and
some do not. This guide allows you the option of choosing a different
color if you are not going to like the end result.The Color Bridge
is only offered in a fan guide format and only on coated paper.
Textiles, which is divided into two different
divisions, Pantone for fashion and home, and Pantone Architecture
and Interiors.The textile numbers appear as two digits, a hyphen,
and then four digits, and may be followed by a TP (textile paper),
a TPX (textile paper-latest edition), or a TC (textile cotton).
The Textile palette is offered in a fan guide format or a ring
binder format with six tear out chips per color in paper, or a
ring binder format in cotton with either non-removable cotton
chips or removable cotton swatches.
Plastics, which offers
two types of chips, opaque or transparent. Plastic numbers will
have either a Q (opaque) or a T (transparent) in front of them
and appear as three digits, a hyphen, one digit, a hyphen, one
digit. The Plastic palette is offered in ring binder format with
removable plastic chips.
Where do I get Pantone paint?
Pantone is a color matching and identification system. They do
not manufacture paint. If you are looking for paint in a specific
Pantone color, you will have to find a paint dealer in your area
that is familiar with the Pantone color palette and has a guide
on premises to match paint with, or you will need to bring him
a sample of the Pantone color for him to match to paint. It's
worth a phone call before running all over town trying to find
the right paint dealer.
How do I find out which Process color corresponds to the
Solid color I need to match?
You can try to eye ball match it by comparing your Solids guide
to your Process guide and finding a close match, but the system
is not designed that way. There are 3,000 Process color variations
and only 1,114 Solid color formulas. The Color Bridge guide gives
you the 4-color process variation of the Solid color but there
is no guide that works backwards to match a Process to a Solids.
There are three times as many Process colors as there are Solids.
I ordered a job in Solids (for instance, 185C, and a 347C)
but when I got it back, I was very disappointed. The colors appeared
dull and washed out. What happened?
Communication with your commercial printing company is very important.
You can order a job using Solid colors but if the job is going
to be run as a 4-color job instead of a Spot (Solid) color job,
you could very well be disappointed. Before specifying a color
you need to find out from your printer whether the job will be
run as a Spot (Solid) color or as a 4-color Process. Some printers
print in 4-color Process,some in Solids, and some in both. Some
Solid (spot) colors translate well into 4-color Process work and
some do not. Pantone offers the Color Bridge guide for that reason.
Down the left side of the guide are the Solid colors with their
corresponding 4-color Process formulas down the right side of
the guide. That way if you are specifying a Solid color for a
job but you know that job is going to be run as a 4-color job
you can anticipate the outcome.
Does Pantone ever change their color numbers?
No, which is why the Pantone color matching and identification
system works. It is consistent. Once a number has been assigned
to a color, it is never changed. Once in awhile Pantone may add
or discontinue colors, but they will never change a number on
a color.
How often should I replace my guide?
Pantone recommends replacing the guides once every year or so.
The ink on the guides is subject to fading over time. Of course,
this depends on the type of usage your guide receives. With heavy
usage and exposure to light, yes, once a year is not too often.
With lighter usage and not much exposure to light, most customers
replace their guides every couple of years. You can identify which
Pantone® guide you have, and how old it
is here.
Which guide do I need for silk screen printing?
The palette most often used by silk screeners is the Pantone Solid
palette. Pantone Formula Guide Coated/Uncoated, Item #GP1201 for
$89.00. This guide contains 1,114 Pantone Solid colors (examples,
185, 327, 485, 7543).
Can I get replacement pages or chips?
Yes, they are special order out of Pantone® New Jersey. You
will have to call to order replacement pages or chips. They are
offered in different ways and different price points depending
on which guide you are replacing pages in. For more information
or to place
an order, please call 1-800-396-4155.
