| If you've never worked directly with graphic designers, | | | | matching system work? |
| corporate marketing departments, or something of the | | | | To understand, first you have to start with the basics. |
| like you might not have even heard of the Pantone | | | | The CMYK process is a good place to start. Open up |
| Matching System, also known as the PMS Color | | | | a big network color printer and you'll see four |
| Match System. This is a very useful system that | | | | cartridges - a black one, a cyan one (it looks blue), a |
| universalizes shades of color to eliminate shade | | | | yellow one and a magenta one. Most printing happens |
| variations in a myriad of different industries. | | | | through the CMYK process, meaning that lots of |
| Imagine trying to order logoed letterhead for your | | | | colors can be produced in one of these machines. |
| company. You've chosen a particular shade of, say, | | | | That's not how Pantone Color Matching works, |
| orange for your logo color. Your shade of orange is a | | | | because that is too inexact. One printer might be low |
| vibrant, shocking shade of orange. When the | | | | on Cyan, or need to be serviced because it's putting |
| letterhead gets to you the orange in it is more of a | | | | out too much Magenta. The combination of these four |
| brown color, or even more of a yellow. What could | | | | shades can't make every color under the sun, so what |
| have prevented this? The Pantone Matching System, | | | | do you do with colors that can't be printed on these |
| that's what. | | | | standard color printers? |
| The Pantone Color Matching System allows you to | | | | You use the Pantone Color Matching System. The |
| communicate the exact color you require through a | | | | colors within the system are created through a mixture |
| special numbering system. Each color is assigned a | | | | of 15 total base pigments, and the creation of a given |
| unique number. You tell your printer which orange you | | | | spot color is specified through the system. If you use |
| want and your letterhead shows up with your orange | | | | the Pantone Color Matching System you are given the |
| on it. Pretty smart, huh? Who thought of such a thing? | | | | tools you need to make any of their colors. Now, |
| How do they do it? | | | | Pantone is a company that is with the times, so in a |
| Lawrence Herbert thought of the idea back in 1963 | | | | pinch you could pick one of their colors that is |
| when he bought the Pantone company, which used to | | | | compatible with the CMYK process. That way you |
| manufacture cosmetics companies color cards. | | | | can print it out yourself, or go to Kinko's or something, |
| Herbert had this fantastic idea, which remains | | | | but it won't be perfect all the time. The only way to be |
| intellectual property of Pantone even today. Today | | | | sure that you're using true Pantone colors is to go |
| Pantone is owned by X-Rite, Inc., who bought the | | | | through an authorized distributor or to become one |
| company in 2007 for $180 million dollars. That's a pretty | | | | yourself. |
| good bargain for such a revolutionary system. | | | | Luckily, lots of companies are hip to this very logical |
| Seriously, in today's world where consistency in | | | | and practical system, and you can find PMS matched |
| product is valued so highly, this system is obviously | | | | labels, plastic goods, and even T-shirts that will fit with |
| integral to maintaining color consistency. | | | | your logo and your company's brand. Lots of |
| So how do they do it? Sure, it's easy to find a bunch | | | | organizations are using the system too, including the |
| of colors and slap a number on them, tell people that | | | | US Army, many different countries (for their flags), and |
| you have to use certain numbers for certain colors, but | | | | pretty much every design company you can ever |
| how do they actually make it work? What is the | | | | hope to come into contact with. |
| system behind the system that makes this color | | | | |
