"Adobe international certification" confused me: what is Pantone?

This problem is difficult for everyone , Especially graphic designers . If the customer points to the sun and says “ This is the color that I hope my advertising design ”, It is difficult for us to determine the same way of perceiving the color .

What is? Pantone？

stay Pantone Before , Every printing company has its own color guide ;“ yellow ” The printing methods are different , It depends on how each ink company interprets the appearance of the color . Some yellows are darker than others ; Some are more orange , Some are greener . And it was never the idea of a designer .

1963 year ,Pantone（ Meaning for “ All colors ”, combination pan and tone） Developed the first color matching system . Thanks to this system , Graphic designers can accurately see “ yellow ” On paper , And provide... To the printer Pantone Number , To make sure they get what they want .

The designer 、 The printer 、 Ink manufacturers and their customers have achieved color consistency for the first time . If the customer chooses “ yellow ”, The designer can pass this choice on to order the ink of this color 、 A printer that uses this color to print and provide a final product that meets customer needs .

For creative people who want to please customers through one-time projects , This is not only good news . Finally, the brand can achieve color consistency in all marketing materials from airships to billboards , No matter which institution or freelancer they work with , No matter where they are in the world .

Talk about miracles .

Pantone It is now widely used , And is recognized as the world's color authority .

Pantone color matching system (PMS)

Pantone color matching system (PMS) It is a color standardization system to assist color matching and recognition . It consists of 1,867 Composed of three solid colors . Most colors of the graphic are assigned a three or four digit identification number , Followed by the letter U、C or M. These letters stand for “ Uncoated ”、“ coating ” or “ Matte light ” Paper stock .

Through these changes , Designers and users can see how the colors they choose look on these different types of paper . Some colors look the same on different kinds of paper , Other colors look very different . If you are using Pantone Color , Be sure to specify the version to print by including the appropriate letters .

Pantone The color book consists of 1,867 Color composition , These colors are combined 13 A basic pigment .

All these colors are available in Pantone Found in the printed book of , This is a more reliable （ And more expensive ） Visual resources .

Style guides are one of the best ways to ensure that employees of the same company consistently use the same elements in their marketing materials and websites .Pantone The number can be included in the brand's style guide , So that company employees who want to design other materials can use accurate colors to keep consistent with the original design .

Use Pantone Printing can become expensive , But it's usually worth it , Especially for big brands that can't afford inconsistency .

Pantone and CMYK

We already have a color system for printing ：CMYK. Why do we need another system ？

CMYK Use four plates （ Cyan 、 magenta 、 Yellow and black ） Print out the desired color .CMYK Color mode is a mode used by traditional home printers to print various colors .

however , Every time you print , The colors required may vary slightly , It depends on the calibration of the printer . for example , In some cases , The green color you intend to print may be lighter than expected .

Definition ： In printing , Alignment refers to aligning the ink jet cartridge with the paper being printed , And the ink cartridges are aligned with each other . If not aligned correctly , The print quality will decrease .

If you are printing a copy of a document , This inconsistency will not have much effect . But for one printed for employees 10,000 For a business card brand ,“ Close enough to ” It will not be cut .

Pantone provides security for designers .

Pantone will not combine any color in the printing process ; it yes The colors used in the process . It is better than CMYK Much purer , The difference is also obvious .

Pantone The base ink is first carefully mixed to produce the desired color , Then put it on a printing plate , In order to print on a special machine that must be prepared for each job . Calibration is no longer a problem , Because no other plate can be calibrated .

Pantone Printing is best suited to have consistency 、 Large projects in solid colors , and CMYK Printing is more suitable for mixing different printing operations .

Regarding this ：Pantone There are more than a thousand solid colors to choose from , Provide the world with the consistency that designers once dreamed of .Pantone It's like a promise ： The color you choose at the beginning is the color you finally get .