Pantone? PMS? CMYK? What does it all mean?
Pantone is the proprietary name for the universal colour identification system – the Pantone matching system (or PMS) which is used by designers, printers and clients as a guide when specifying printed colours. Designers and printers use a Pantone swatch book to select colours. The printer uses either a single colour (which has been pre-formulated), or combinations of the four process colours – cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) to create this single colour. Often there is a slight difference between the 4-colour process colour and the single Pantone colour. When colours need to be consistent and accurate, (for instance, a logo) designers will often suggest printing using a specified (solid) Pantone colour. Otherwise, printing with CMYK, especially if the design includes many colours, is more viable and equally effective. Pantone provide swatch books that show solid colours and the CMYK equivalent of these colours, so that everyone involved in the process can compare them and know what to expect of the final print.
Colour is also affected by the type of paper that the printer uses - often an uncoated paper will create colours that are richer or darker than colours printed on a glossy stock. Pantone provide their swatch books on both coated and uncoated stock so that the designer and client can see how the colour will be interpreted on the chosen stock.
Complicated? Hopefully not. Remember that Pantone books are a tool for visualising and checking the accuracy of colours. Often computer screens, laser printers, inkjet printers and PDF documents aren’t reliable when presenting colour, so Pantone books are often the only way to make sure the printer will print the chosen colours.
Don’t be afraid to ask us about this, we are more than happy to explain and help you get the best results from colour printing.
