The Trouble With Pantone Books

“Color,” said Monet, “is my day long obsession, joy, and torment.” And in the printing world, we so often feel exactly the same. There is the joy and magic of watching a beautiful color come off the press. The torment of exacting standards and working hard to achieve perfect color in every job. And there is the constant obsession of finding new ways of utilizing color in design and seeing it through from idea to print.

No doubt color is one of the most gratifying, important, and all too often perplexing parts of print. Of course there are those times when color doesn’t quite feel the way you want it to. Times when the color a designer imagines isn’t what comes off the press.

One of the chief culprits we see in this color conundrum comes directly from a Pantone book. As designers ourselves we know how much fun these color books can be. Pantone books are the print designer’s secret grimoire filled with magical spells. Yet, as vital and necessary a resource as Pantone books are, their use, or more correctly their misuse, can lead to big issues with color.

Here are a few key things to keep an eye out for when using Pantone books or any color system.

Fading

When a designer specs a project using a book that is a few years old (or more!), they may in fact be seeing a color that has faded. The color they choose could appear just slightly off from a swatch in a newer book. When that that color is used in large areas of print however, the difference can become more noticeable.

So what can you do?

First, If we accept that Pantone books are like spell books, then they need to be treated as such. You need to store your book in a safe place without direct sunlight, and without drastic changes in temperature. No one would imagine Merlin leaving his best spells laying around, and print designers should do the same.

Also note that Pantone only guarantees its books for one year. They claim books should be replaced annually. This might seem extreme considering the cost, but it’s important to remember colors fade, paper ages, and even the best storage can’t prevent it. On top of that new colors can be added and even formulas can change.

Staying on top of your books will save you headaches at press time.

The Wrong Color Book

By far the biggest issue we encounter with color from our designers is choosing the wrong book for a print project. Pantone offers books in several varieties, and it is important to choose the right one for the job.

If you are printing on coated paper, then you need to be sure you are looking at a swatch in a coated paper Pantone book. There can be drastic differences between coated and uncoated versions of a color.

Take a look below at an example of color # 273 in coated and uncoated.

It also pays to be aware of how you are printing? Pantone offers their color bridge series for printing in process as opposed to spot colors. And these can be vital when you are trying to match your printed colors to web colors.

Paper Choice

Lastly, we want to point out the effect paper choice has on a color. As we’ve discussed on this blog before, white isn’t always exactly white. Or at least it isn’t always the same white. The brightness of a paper in your project may not match the brightness used by Pantone in their book. In addition the tint of the paper you use – yellowish, bluish, or pinkish, will affect the way we perceive a printed color.

10 points to Gryffindor if you remember Simultaneous Contrast from your design training.

Color can indeed be both a torment and a joy. The best way to avoid issues is always to talk with your printer early and often. If you have a question about printing, or would just like to compare inks, feel free to comment below or stop on by.

cutpasteandprint Printing, graphic design, binding, and promotional product specialists in Huntingdon Valley, PA. We proudly serve the Bucks and Montgomery County areas with superior quality, great customer service, and a commitment to getting you and your the best possible printed materials. Our services include: Digital Printing, Offset Printing, Graphic Design, Promotional Items, Bindery, and Copying.