What is the Pantone Color Matching System (PMS)? - Refine ...

The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a standardized color system that identifies nearly 5,000 various subtle color shades and variations. WhatisthePantoneColorMatchingSystem(PMS)?TableofContentsWhatisthePantoneColorMatchingSystem(PMS)?TheHistoryofthePantoneMatchingSystemTheTwoPantoneMatchingSystemsPantoneMatchingSystem(PMS)PalettesWhatistheDifferenceBetweenPMSandCMYK?CanYouConvertfromPantonetoCMYK?CanYouConvertfromCMYKtoPantone?  HaveQuestionsAboutWorkingwiththePMS? 4.8/5(39votes)WhatisthePantoneColorMatchingSystem(PMS)?ThePantoneMatchingSystem(PMS)isastandardizedcolorsystemthatidentifiesnearly5,000varioussubtlecolorshadesandvariations.Thisdetailedcolornumberingsystemallowsdesignersandprintingmanufacturerstostandardizeandmatchcolorscorrectly,toovercomethecommonvariationofprintedcolorswhenusingCMYK.Whatcomestoyourmindwhenyouthinkofthecolor“red”? Maybeyouthinkofadarkred,likecrimson,orabrightred,likeastopsign.Intheprintingworld,justsaying“red”isn’tenough.Therearesubtledifferencesevenbetweenshadesandhues,whichbringsustothePantoneMatchingSystem(PMS)–aglobal“language”forunderstandingandmatchingcolors.TheHistoryofthePantoneMatchingSystemPantonewasacommercialprintingcompanystartedinthe1950sbytwobrothers,bothadvertisingexecutives.Afewyearsafteritsfounding,thebrothershiredrecentcollegegraduateLawrenceHerbert,whousedhischemistryknowledgetocategorizeandsystematizethecompany’scollectionofprintinginksandpigments. Imagineyouhaveaproduct.Yourlogowillbeprintedatonelocationbyoneprintingcompany,andyourcustompackagingisbeingproducedatanotherprintingcompanyacrossthecountry.  Howcanyoubesurethatbothprinterswillusetheexactshadesandcoloringinyourlogoandpackagingtocreateperfectlyidenticalversions?  ThePantoneMatchingSystem(PMS)ishow.Pantonesetouttocreateasystemthatallowedforaconsistentcolornumberingsystem,asthereisoftenavariationinprintedcolorswhenusingCMYK. InthePMS,entiresheetscanbedevotedtoasinglecolorinvarioussubtleshadesandvariations.Severalofthesesheetscanbeputtogetherintoa“fan”.Theyarecodedbynumbersandallowprintdesigners,wherevertheyare,tostandardizetheirprintingandmatchcolorsaccordingly. TheTwoPantoneMatchingSystemsPantoneactuallyhastwodifferentmatchingsystems:oneforpackagingdesign,andoneforproductdesign. Therearenearly5,000Pantonecolorsintotal.ThereasonthecolorsystemissplitinthiswayistoallowwhatPantonecalls“market-relevantcolors”. Forexample,productdesignmayusevaryingshadesofblack,whiteorneutralcolors,whileretailpackagingmightneedcolorsthatstandoutonshelvesandgrabcustomers’attention. What’smore,thewayacolorlookswilldependonthematerialthatit’sprintedon. Dependingonthematerial,somecolorsdon’tshowupatall,ortheylookabsolutelyawfulandnotatallwhataproductcreatorwouldwant.That’swhyPantonedecidedtoseparatetheirPMSintotwodistinctivesystems,sothatprintandgraphicdesignersknownotonlywhichcolorscanbereproducedonwhichmaterials,butalsothatthey’llshowupbrilliantlywhentheyareprinted. PantoneMatchingSystem(PMS)PalettesDependingonwhatyou’llbeprintingonto,theremaybeaPMSpalettetomatch. Forexample,there’saPantonesolidpalette,aprocesspalette,atextilepaletteandaplasticpalette.You’llwanttoconsiderwhatyou’llbeprintingontoinordertodeterminewhichcolorsyoucanuse,andwhichyoushouldavoid. UsingthePMSoffersanumberofbenefits.Mostnotably,becauseitisthemostcommonlyusedcolormatchingsystemintheworld,youcantakeyourprintedmaterialalmostanywheretobereproduced,andtheprinterscanmatchthosecolorstotheirPantonecolorcodeeasily–guaranteeingconsistentresults. Inaddition,thePMShasanexcellentcolorrange.Althoughthereareothersystemsoutthere,noneofthemcomeclosetomatchingtheaccuracyandprecisionofthePantonesystem.Pantone’ssystemissopopular,thateveryyear,anewcolorisselectedtorepresentthatyear.Withvibrantnameslike“TangerineTango”and“Mimosa”,theysoundliketheycouldbeflavoredcocktailsinsteadofcolors.Butwhenyoustoptothinkaboutit,theyreallyarelikecocktails–eclecticmixesthatarelikeflavorsforyoureyes. WhatistheDifferenceBetweenPMSandCMYK?InordertounderstandthedifferencebetweenPMSandCMYK,it’simportanttofirstunderstandthedifferencebetweenspotcolorandprocesscolor.Alogoisanexampleofsomethingthatusesspotcolors.Forexample,thedistinctivebrightyellowofMcDonald’sGoldenArchesisaspecificPantonecolornameornumberthatcanbematchedonaprintingpress. CMYKcolors,ontheotherhand,arecreatedusingamixbetweenCyan,Magenta,YellowandBlack.Thedifferencesbetweenprintingpressesandahostofotherfactorsmeansthatonecyan,forexample,maynotmatchanother,whichleadstoconsiderabledifferencesincolor. Thatdistinctiveyellow,forexample,maylookwashedout,orevendirty,dependingontheprinter,theexperienceofthepressoperator,andanyothernumberofissues.Dependingonifyourprinterisusingdigitalprintingoroffsetprintingwillalsoplayafactorinwhatyourprintedcolorsultimatelylooklikeaswell.CMYKcolorsarenotguaranteedtobeuniformbetweenprintersorevenprintjobs,whereasPantonecolorsare,becausetheycanbeselectedbasedonacertainandgloballyunderstoodnameorcolorcode. CanYouConvertfromPantonetoCMYK?CanYouConvertfromCMYKtoPantone?  Thiscanbedone,however,itcanbeachallenge. Graphicdesignersknowthatthetwosystemsaremarkedlydifferentandcomplete,identicalmatchescan’talwayshappen.Withthatbeingsaid,however,printingwithPantoneinkscanbeexpensive,andit’scommonthatcompaniespreferusingCMYKtohelpthemsavemoneyeveniftheirlogocoloringdiffersslightly. Atthesametime,Pantonehaspracticallyperfectedassigningspecificcodestothewholespectrumofvisiblecolor,soacompanythatwantstoinvestintheabsolutebestandensurepremiumoutputateverystageoftheprocessmaywanttoswitchfromtheCMYKfourcolorprocesstoPantone. IfyouwanttoconvertfromPantonetoCMYKandviceversa,Pantonesellsconversionguidesthatcanhelpyoufindthebestpossiblematchforyourcolors.YoucanusecommonlyavailablegraphicdesignprogramslikeAdobePhotoshoporAdobeIllustratortosimplyopenupthecolorswatchandconvertthecolors. Ifyou’dlikeaquoteorhavequestionsaboutswitchingyourprintjobfromCMYKcolortoPantoneorviceversa,contactusforacustomestimate.HaveQuestionsAboutWorkingwiththePMS? Onthesurface,PMSisasimplesystem,yetitsimpactontheindustryisclear.WorkingwiththePMSgivesyouthehighestqualitycolorandexactcolormatchingsothatyoucantransferyourdesignfrommaterialtomaterialwithconsistency. However,wealsounderstandthatyoumaystillhavequestionsaboutworkingwiththePantoneMatchingSystem,convertingCMYKtoPMSandviceversa.Fortunately,productpackagingdesignusingbothCMYKandPMSisourspecialty. Whetheryouhaveasmallprintjoboryouwanttoscaleyourprintingtoaccommodateavarietyofstyles,atRefinePackaging,wehavetheknowledge,experienceandexpertisetohelpguideyoufromconcepttocompletion.Ourprofessionalpackagingdesigners,printersandgraphicartistscanworkwithyoueverystepofthewaytocreateandprintadesignthattrulyexceedsyourexpectations.WeinviteyoutocontactustodaytolearnmoreabouthowwecanusethePMStohelpbringyourproducttolifewithbeautifulpackagingthatisaffordableandexemplaryineveryway. LastUpdated:March1,2022America'sLeadingPackaging&CustomBoxManufacturerRefinePackagingmakesitsimpletodesignandordercustomboxesandaffordablepackagingonline.We'reproudtoproducecustomboxpackagingforT-Mobile,Adidas,Pandora,MarriottHotels,Inc.5000companiesandmanyotherbusinessesnationwide.Contactustodaytolearnmoreaboutyouroptionstobringyourpackagingvisiontolife.GETAFREEQUOTEStartingFrom100BoxesFastTurnaround8-10BusinessDaysFreeDie&PlatesChargeYoumayalsolike...MasterTheUnboxingExperience:TheBeginner’sUltimateGuideWhatisaDieline?HowtoMakeaDielineforPackagingandPrintingBeginner’sGuidetoBoxDesign:HowtoNailPackagingBoxDesignWhatAreTheRGB&CMYKColorModelsInPrinting?LearnColorModes.PackagingDesignInspiration:Top10CreativeDesignsfor2022TheUltimateGuidetoStandoutProductPackagingDesignVisittheBlogCustomBoxesbyRefinePackaging!BoxStyle:TuckCustomMailerBoxesbyRefinePackaging!BoxStylCustomLipBalmBoxesfor@monthlymoistbyRefineCustomPopcornBoxesforMetLifebyRefinePackagiCustomTuckEndBoxesbyRefinePackaging!#refinCustomPopcornBoxesbyRefinePackaging!#refineCustomChocolateBoxbyRefinePackaging!#refineCustomCakeBoxesforT-MobilebyRefinePackagingCustomPopcornBoxes!#refinepackaging#customboPerfectPoutzPackagingusingKraftPaper!#refinShawnyLipGloss&LipstickPackaging.#refinepacLipstickPackaging!#refinepackaging#customboxesTheSexiestLipstickPackaging!#refinepackagingPerfectPoutzPackaging!#refinepackaging#packagBoujiLipCosmeticsPackaging!#refinepackaging#Home»Blog»WhatisthePantoneColorMatchingSystem(PMS)?4.8/5(39votes)TRUSTEDBYTHEWORLD'STOPBRANDSCALLUSNOW