Colour matching can be a bit of a mine-field, but thankfully the print trade has one guy on its side when it comes to perfect colours- Mr Pantone.

What exactly is the Pantone colour matching system?

The Pantone Matching System (or PMS for short) is a standard set of inks around which a whole range of colours are reproduced. These standard colours are reproduced by the Pantone company as a set of printed ‘swatches’ that are distributed to Pantone users around the world. To keep the colours true new swatches are produced each year so that they aren’t dulled by sun damage.

So which Pantone colour do I want?

If you want to keep your colour consistent across your printed materials always stick to your Pantone colour. Which one you choose is completely up to you! When beginning on your journey with Pantone make sure you choose your colour from an official up to date Pantone swatch book. Do not choose your colour ‘on screen’ as digital reproductions of the Pantone printing inks are never 100% accurate.

Hang on- what does this letter after my Pantone number mean?

When you use your Pantone number you will usually find either a letter c or the letter u after the main number. This refers to the two main types of paper that your colour will be reproduced on- either ‘Coated’ (shiny) or ‘Uncoated’ (matt). As the colours reproduce differently on these papers Pantone reproduce two types of swatch to illustrate how the colour will print on each.

So how will I know how to reproduce this colour online or in my own materials?

Pantone do release a guide on how to reproduce colours using their own CMYK Colour Bridge system, but when trying to use your own CMYK equipment the best advice is to not expect a proper match- leave it to the professionals! Your friendly local printer may be able to advise you on how best to achieve a close colour match with their printers, but remember only Pantone inks will correctly match your colours. When reproducing onscreen your designer should be able to give you an RGB reference or the equivalent ‘hex code’ for your website. It may be a good approximation but remember that it will look different depending on the equipment of the viewer, so you must expect inconsistent results.

If you want help with your colour matching – get in touch with our design team :)