Systems

Pantone general

The Colour Matching System of PANTONE® which was introduced to the market as early as 1963, has by now established itself worldwide as a means of colour communication.

PANTONE® Formula Guide

Compared to other systems on the market, PANTONE® does not have the aim to illustrate one colour shade on different papers but rather to illustrate a standard ink formulation on different kinds of paper. Therefore, special colours of the PANTONE Matching System® (PMS) are distinguished with a paper code abbreviation

(C = coated, U = uncoated, M = matte).

Set up:

In order to work with the PANTONE Matching System®, 14 basic colours are needed, which are mixed according to the formulations in the guide.

In general, it can be assumed that the colour shade in the middle of each page of the guide shows a starting mixture out of the basic inks. On the relevant page of the guide, this mixture is shown in three gradations darker and three gradations brightened with transparent white.

Production:

The formula guides are produced with a special printing method.

Usage:

A worldwide colour communication is possible by means of the system provided by PANTONE®, In America PANTONE® 1235 C looks just like PANTONE® 1235 C in Germany, provided that some restrictions are observed.

Disregarding different observation conditions such as illuminant, observer, environment etc. there are still many influencing factors, which may lead to colour shade differences.

Influencing factors:

The PANTONE® System is most suitable for colour communication or would you like to explain to your customer on the phone that a product should be frog green? Although this task seems to be easy thanks to the indication of the PANTONE® description, problems may quickly occur.

Colour shade differences between editions:

The formula guide is a printed product and is therefore subject to print variations. The tolerances from edition to edition may be up to +/- 5% in the density of each colour. Therefore, depending on the colour shade, variations in the shade may occur. It is therefore especially important to also indicate the respective edition of the formula guide. (The edition is printed on the first page e.g. Fourth Edition, Fourth Printing).

Change of printing substrate:

PANTONE® is regularly adjusted to the different kinds and qualities of paper offered by the paper industry. Therefore, it is also possible that paper with optical brightener and/or paper that have different surface smoothnesses, are used. This can also lead to a difference in perception of the colour shades.

Optical brighteners:

The different kinds of paper used by PANTONE® contain many optical brighteners. Especially in the case of spectral photometric measurements, this may lead to problems. Optical brighteners convert radiant energy in the UV area (400-480 nm) into visible light, which is more in the bluish area. Paper with optical brighteners appear more bluish and therefore cleaner than paper without optical brighteners. Of course, this also influences the colour shade. Often optical brighteners lead to special problems as they dissolve very fast under the influence of UV and then the paper appears more yellowish and dirtier. Therefore, products on these printing substrates age and yellow faster.

Ink layer thickness:

In individual cases, colour shades of PANTONE® have been printed with a very high ink thickness (e.g. PANTONE® 280 C). These colour shades can often only be achieved approximately, or when printed twice. If these colours are required with special fastness properties, the differences in colour shade can be even higher.

Light resistance:

As the PANTONE Matching System® is a pure means of communication and not a colour standard, the basic inks are indeed very pure in colour; however, they sometimes provide only very limited fastness properties. Colour shades of PANTONE Matching System® have sometimes only a very low light resistance e.g. 134 C, 270 C, 434 C, 444 C, 469 C, 553 C. If such colours are required with higher light fastness, we can formulate these with basic inks, which are more light resistant.

Fastness properties:

As already mentioned concerning the light resistance, basic inks sometimes have only low fastness properties. This also has to be kept in mind if you would like to print finish your product. For dispersion varnishing, laminating, UV varnishing as well as other factors that might influence the colour after printing (e.g. laser printers, heat, lyes), PANTONE® basic inks often do not have the necessary resistances. Should you nevertheless need a colour shade with certain resistances for a certain finishing method, or a filling with which the product might come into contact, we will formulate this colour shade for you with the corresponding inks. However, it must be kept in mind that a substitute pigment often has a lower purity and colour strength than the basic inks used by PANTONE®. In the substitution of pigments, metamerism effects may also occur.

Print finishing:

In the colour guide, the colour shades are all shown without print finishing. If the printed product is varnished or laminated later on however, this may also lead to changes in the colour shade.

Bronze effects (e.g. Reflex blue) can be reduced. The colour shade may, under certain circumstances, become stronger and purer but also more yellowish. In order to estimate in advance in which direction the colour shade is going to change, we print a press proof of the colour shade with your varnish, for you.

Differences between C and U:

As PANTONE® prints the same formula on different kinds of paper, the colour shade also looks different. Therefore, it is extremely important to indicate whether you wish the colour shade in C or U. This information has to be indicated with the PMS number on every order.

PANTONE® 116 C for example, is very different to PANTONE® 116 U.

Ageing:

A formula guide is subject to certain ageing caused by the optical brighteners in the paper as well as the partly low light resistances. These changes in the colour shade can be delayed by storing the formula guide away from light.

Colour shade adjustment to different editions:

As the formula guides can change with each edition depending on the paper and/or for printing reasons, it is possible that a colour shade that was produced 7 years ago is different to a colour shade that is produced today.

This may have negative consequences when it comes to Product Branding, Corporate Design,or Corporate Identity

In such cases a new formulation of a colour shade on your printing substrate is the best way to avoid a continuing and unforeseeable change. You will receive a colour that was especially formulated for you on your printing substrate, for which an unchangeable formula is used. In future you therefore do not order your ink according to the PANTONE® number, but according to the order number (item number) of the new formulation.

Colour shade formulation:

Do you require a PANTONE® colour shade with certain fastness properties or on a certain printing substrate, which is formulated especially for you and with a formula that cannot be changed?

We only need a sample (printed, wet, colour sample, PANTONE® number with formula guide edition etc.) and ca. 15 sheets (DIN A4) for each colour shade of the printing substrate on which the colour shade should be matched.

Pantone® colour guide

PANTONE® has added more colours to the existing colour guide editions and is now no longer called PANTONE Matching System® but PANTONE® Plus Series.

The new colour guides have the following differences:

PANTONE® Plus Series Formula Guide C+U

  • 224 new colour shades for brown and earthy colours have been added to the colour guide.
  • The colour guide consists of 1338 colour shades, which were arranged chromatically.
  • At the end of the guide a search index is available for a more detailed search.
  • In addition, the colour guide has a Light Indicator for a D50 standardized light examination.
  • The colours are mixed out of the existing BMS basic inks
  • The printing substrate used for the C colour guide has a grammage of 118g/m² and is therefore thinner.

PANTONE® Plus Series Premium Metallics Guide C

  • The colour guide consists of 300 new colour shades from 10101C-10399C.
  • The used silver is a so-called none Leafing silver.
  • The colours have been especially designed for print finishing.
  • The inks should be print finished for better abrasion resistance and metal effects.
  • Ther Metallic Formula Guide coated remains unchanged.
  • The inks are mixed out of the existing CMS basic inks for GOE®.
  • In addition, the colour guide has a Light Indicator for a D50 standardized light examination.

PANTONE® Plus Series Pastels & Neons Guide C+U

  • The existing colour guide has been expanded with fluorescent colours.
  • The colour guide contains the 14 existing colours 801-814 plus 35 new fluorescent colours.
  • The 35 new colour shades are mixed out of the colour shades 801-814 and transparent white.
  • The colour guide was arranged chromatically according to colour shades.
  • At the end of the guide a search index is available for a more detailed search.
  • In addition, the colour guide has a Light Indicator for a D50 standardized light examination.
  • The printing substrate used for the C colour guide has a grammage of 118g/m² and is therefore thinner.

General Information

All colour guides are available and can be ordered with the following item numbers:

  • 0000164000 PANTONE® Plus Series Formula Guide C+U
  • 0000165000 PANTONE® Plus Series Pastels & Neons Guide C+U
  • 0000166000 PANTONE® Plus Series Premium Metallics Guide C

Technical Information

What is a none leafing silver?

The metallic parts of the none leafing silver are not at the surface of the ink film as for example in Silver 63950, but are deeper. This causes a higher metallic effect after print finishing with dispersion or UV varnishing or laminating.

The following schematic graphic shows this situation:

 

The PANTONE® Premium Metallic Silver can be ordered with the following item number:

0101555001 PANTONE® PREMIUM Metallic Silver

The PANTONE® Premium Metallics colour shades are currently not available for BoFood MH.

In case of further questions regarding PANTONE®, fastness properties or colour shade formulations, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Note: This technical description is intended to inform and advise you. It corresponds to our current state of knowledge. However, since the specific application depends on a number of factors over which we have no influence, no guarantee and liability for the pressure failure can be derived.