The Pantone Matching System is a proprietary color matching system
which was introduced by the Pantone Corporation in 1963. It is used by
many printers and graphic artists to deliver reliable, stable colors
to the consumer. There are certain drawbacks to the Pantone Matching
System, but for some applications it is the color matching method of
first choice. It is used all over the world to communicate color.
The Pantone Matching System standardizes colors. Many graphic
designers struggle with the disparity between colors on the computer
screen or in swatch samples and final printed products. In some cases,
the color difference may be marginal, but in others an entire print
run would need to be halted so that the color could be corrected. This
is frustrating and costly. The Pantone Matching System is designed to
eliminate some of these difficulties.
The Pantone Matching System mixes cyan, magenta, yellow, and key, or
black, together to create a single color. Graphic designers have a
swatch book of thousands of Pantone colors to choose from. Each color
has a specific number which a printer can look up to determine how the
inks should be mixed. In this way, the graphic designer can ensure
that the color of his or her choice is reproduced in the finished
product.
Some colors from the Pantone Matching System are world famous. Tiffany
Blue, for example, is also known as Pantone Color 1837. The
distinctive blue color is trademarked by Tiffany's. Several nations
including Scotland have also used the Pantone Matching System to
dictate the precise color of their national flags and military
uniforms.
The primary drawback to the Pantone Matching System is that it only
works for spot colors. The Pantone company is working on a similar
system for process colors, but is finding it difficult. Process colors
are far cheaper to produce than spot colors. Process printing involves
making four passes with a press to lay down four separate colors of
ink. Each ink adheres to a different print plate, producing a color
image when the fourth pass is done.
Because spot colors are mixed to specification, they are costly to
make, and only practical when a project is being printed in two to
three colors. Applications for spot color include invitations to
events and other text-oriented print projects, or monochrome printing.
Spot color is not practical for four color brochures and other print
projects with a multiplicity of colors.
The Pantone Matching System also does not work for red, green, blue
color systems, as found on the Internet. The Pantone company is
attempting to expand its color matching abilities, and is expected to
release a red, green, blue color matching system in the early twenty
first century. Pantone has also expanded its color matching expertise
to encompass house paint, textiles, fashion, and industrial design.
Share and Enjoy!
0 Comments:
Post a Comment