Some print knowlege

What is Pantone?

PANTONE is the standard language for colour identification and communication and the worldwide expert on colour. Pantone colour guides allow clients, designers, and manufacturers to select, specify, match, and control colour in many diverse applications.

What is the difference between the solid colour decks and the process colour decks?

The solid PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM Colours are produced by physically mixing inks to a given shade and laying the ink on paper in one pass, creating a solid field of colour. This type of printing is also known as 'spot colour' printing.

What is CMYK?

CMYK refers to four-color process printing, using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black inks, and uses dots of the four inks printed in close proximity to each other. When viewed by the human eye, the dots are 'blended,' creating the illusion of a solid field of colour. By varying the dot sizes, literally millions of colours can be simulated within the relatively restrictive 'gamut' of CMYK.

Why are Colours Different Online?

Colour is very subjective, which is why the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® works so well. It takes all the guess work out of colour identification. Every computer monitor is different, every printer is different. Unless your equipment is calibrated with the Pantone huey, the colour depicted on your screen will not be accurate and could be many shades off.