Good to know
What is a Pantone (PMS) color?
The short answer
A Pantone color is a standard ink color with its own number, such as PMS 186. It is mixed to a published formula and printed as one solid ink, so it can be matched from one printer and one job to the next. PMS stands for Pantone Matching System.
A recipe, not a mix of dots
Most color printing builds every color out of tiny dots of four inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. That is CMYK, also called four-color process.
A Pantone color, also called a PMS color or a spot color, works differently. The ink is mixed to that one color before it goes on the press, the way a can of paint is mixed to a chip at the hardware store. It prints as a solid, even color.
Each color has a number in the Pantone Matching System, and printers everywhere mix to the same published formulas. That shared number is the point: two shops in two cities can be asked for PMS 186 and know they mean the same red.
Why brands use them
A logo ends up on paper, shirts, pens, signs, and trucks, made by different companies on different equipment. A PMS number gives all of them the same target.
It also reaches colors four inks can't. Bright oranges, clean deep blues, metallics, and neons often fall outside what CMYK can mix. Printed as a spot ink, they don't have to be approximated.
The letter after the number
The same ink looks different on different paper. Coated paper holds ink on its surface, so the color looks brighter. Uncoated paper soaks it in, so the same ink looks softer and a little darker.
PMS 186 C and PMS 186 U are the same ink. The letter only says which paper the swatch was printed on.
- C is for coated: how the ink looks on coated paper, such as a glossy brochure.
- U is for uncoated: how the same ink looks on uncoated paper, such as letterhead or an envelope.
Beyond paper
The numbers are used for much more than ink on paper. Embroidery thread, vinyl, fabric, and plastic each come in their own set of colors, so the one closest to your PMS number is chosen.
That can be very close without being identical, because thread and plastic are not ink. If an exact match matters on a product, say so before the order is placed.
How to find yours
Look in your brand guidelines, or in the folder your logo came in. A complete set lists the PMS number beside the CMYK, RGB, and HEX versions of each color. Whoever designed the logo will know.
If nobody ever picked one, a PMS color can be chosen to match what you have been using. It should be picked from a printed swatch book, not from a screen. Ask us about it.
Questions
More about Pantone colors
Don't see yours? Call 419.224.8747 and ask a person.
EXCELLENT4.9 from 58 Google reviews, rated 4.9 out of 5. Opens our Google Business profile in a new tabWhat does PMS stand for?
Pantone Matching System, the numbered color system made by the company Pantone. People say Pantone color, PMS color, and spot color to mean nearly the same thing.
Is a Pantone color the same as CMYK?
No. CMYK builds a color from dots of four inks. A Pantone color is one ink, mixed to that color. Every PMS color has a CMYK version that comes close, and for some colors close is not the same.
RGB and CMYK explainedWhen do I need one?
When a color has to match: a logo color, above all. Jobs printed in only one or two colors are often printed as spot colors too. For photographs and full-color artwork, CMYK does the work.
Can I pick a Pantone color from my screen?
Not reliably. A screen shows color with light, and every screen is set differently. PMS colors are chosen from a printed swatch book.
What do the C and U after the number mean?
Coated and uncoated. They show how the same ink looks on coated paper and on uncoated paper. It is one ink either way.
Can my shirts or pens match my PMS color exactly?
Usually closely. Thread, fabric, and plastic come in their own colors, so the nearest one is chosen. If an exact match matters, say so before the order is placed.
What if I don't know my PMS color?
Check your brand guidelines, or ask whoever designed your logo. If there isn't one, send what you have and ask. You'll see a proof before anything is made.
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