pantone colors

posted 10 months ago by sockmonkee

So I always send my stuff off labeled in pantone colors so there’s some what of a guarantee of color.

My question about it is, in illustrator, the bright, neon’ish colors look terrible, but in photoshop they look pretty close to the actual book.

I usually send files in illustrator bc file size is way smaller but I fear some printing companies won’t take the time to try and match the colors and just go off the screen (which is stupid, i know).

So the overall question…Is this something I shouldn’t be worrying about? Do all printers match from the book and not screen?

Silly question to some but it plagues my MIND!!!

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allsouledout said 10 months ago

probably a stupid answer…but i think it depends on the printer. all printers have different methods. some will mix colors to match the pms code. but it’s more expensive to have them do that. others will, as you say, just eyeball it.

i think you are doing the right thing by including the pantone codes. professional designers always include the pantone code when preparing artwork, whether it be for traditional print, press, etc.

i am experimenting with a new printer on my latest run, we discussed “matching” colors, and while it wasn’t necessary for me to mix pms colors on this order, it was comforting to know the printer was capable and experienced with the process.

hope this helps, if at all answered your question.
seibei said 10 months ago

any good printer is going be toting around the pantone flipbook, because if you give someone a pantone number and they’re off the mark, then you could easily tell them to do the whole job over.
chrisrushing said 10 months ago

seibei said: any good printer is going be toting around the pantone flipbook, because if you give someone a pantone number and they’re off the mark, then you could easily tell them to do the whole job over.

+1
horsebites said 10 months ago

I always have this trouble too. I do almost everything in illustrator and it seems like the PMS colors are always weird looking when I send it off. But I gotta trust mine and the printers judgement and for the most part it turns out the printer usually gets it real close.
sockmonkee said 10 months ago

horsebites said: I always have this trouble too. I do almost everything in illustrator and it seems like the PMS colors are always weird looking when I send it off. But I gotta trust mine and the printers judgement and for the most part it turns out the printer usually gets it real close.

thats exactly why i asked dood. i hate that feeling. the florescent colors look extremely dim and dull but if the PMS color is pulled up in PS, it looks fairly close to the book.

ahhhhhh…oh well, i’ll just hope.
derekdeal said 10 months ago

hmmm are you guys working in the same color mode in both programs, and are you using spot coated pantones?
sockmonkee said 10 months ago

yeah, its just illustrator won’t display them as vivid as PS does. its weird.
jimmyheartcore said 10 months ago

ALWAYS go by the book.

NEVER go by the screen. If there’s a pantone number, and you’re applying it to artwork on the screen only, and not referring to a book, you’re carrying out a major design faux pas.

Any printer who matches a pantone color to what’s on the screen is a moron.
sockmonkee said 10 months ago

jimmyheartcore said: ALWAYS go by the book.
NEVER go by the screen. If there’s a pantone number, and you’re applying it to artwork on the screen only, and not referring to a book, you’re carrying out a major design faux pas.

Any printer who matches a pantone color to what’s on the screen is a moron.

Thanks jimmy, I know you print so hearing from you gives me a lot of assurance. thanks for the help guys
jayeMOSH said 7 months ago

This has probably been said, but I just now read this, and figured I had an answer. Pantone colors are a certain mixture, and as long as it IS a pantone, your printer should check the design.

For instance, if you have pantone whatever, and it looks like blue, they shouldnt just throw any blue on there, they should throw the proper mixture that makes up pantone xxx.

Also, most printers require .EPS for vectors, and .TIFs for raster images.

You probably dont know it, but they are charging you if you don't send them in those formats.
Chris Martin said 7 months ago

jayeMOSH said: This has probably been said, but I just now read this, and figured I had an answer. Pantone colors are a certain mixture, and as long as it IS a pantone, your printer should check the design.
For instance, if you have pantone whatever, and it looks like blue, they shouldnt just throw any blue on there, they should throw the proper mixture that makes up pantone xxx.

Also, most printers require .EPS for vectors, and .TIFs for raster images.

You probably dont know it, but they are charging you if you don't send them in those formats.

I do not want to speak for all printers, but we definitely do not charge extra if you send art .psd, .eps, .tif, or a flattened .jpg That is what screen or set-up charges are for, and it is an agreed on price before the order is processed.

Different printers call them different things, but we charge a basic $20 screen fee per color in the design. This pays for the art separation, the films, and the screens which we hold onto for 6 months. If the client re-prints within those 6 months, they do not pay that fee again. (we also discount this fee if you are making larger orders)

In a perfect world, all T-shirt designers would know how the printing process works, and would be able to perfectly separate art with the understanding of using an under-base, bleeds, half tones for gradients, traps, and any thing else you can think of. But in reality most designers do not fully understand what goes into the printing process unless they own or work at a shop or have screen printed in the past. That is why we are here.... to make your art look exactly how you envisioned but instead of looking at it on a screen, now it is on a shirt that millions of people could be wearing. Instant art expo!

Anyway, sorry for the tangent, back to work!
derekdeal said 7 months ago

that was awesome chris, i wish all printers shared your attitude
MykeCatastrophic said 7 months ago

derekdeal said: that was awesome chris, i wish all printers shared your attitude

Tell me about it man.
jayeMOSH said 7 months ago

yeah ditto
In a perfect world, all designers in general would have pre-press knowledge
Robert Ottinger said 7 months ago

jimmyheartcore said: ALWAYS go by the book.
NEVER go by the screen. If there’s a pantone number, and you’re applying it to artwork on the screen only, and not referring to a book, you’re carrying out a major design faux pas.

Any printer who matches a pantone color to what’s on the screen is a moron.

Exactly! I try not to take it personal when printers dont listen...but its hard not to because if the colors dont match, it makes me look bad! lol its bad enough that im partially color blind...I dont need any more reason for the colors to be off! I have to depend on people to get the best color possible and if they do what they want without asking or not caring....it pisses me of because then I have to explain to the client why the color is what it is.

It frustrates me...
manos said 7 months ago

What you mention about color being displayed better in Photoshop rather Illustrator does sound like a profile issue.

In a perfect world you need a calibrated monitor and then a profile that simulates colors on a cotton surface. That can be done BUT needs a serious color expert studio to do it right and a lot of time. Then they would create a profile that would simulate colors on cotton.

Of course the screen printers from their side have to follow too certain rules that will standardize the way they do printing so you understand that it is a very sensitive chain of events that if one thing goes wrong the whole process goes wrong.

In our case for example for our canvas prints the studio that we work with created profiles for the medium we print on (archival canvas). They measure colors, light, even humidity amongst other things and after they calibrated our screens and supplied us with the profiles our screens truly simulate perfect what you get through the printer. I was very impressed when I saw the results and we don't need any more samples or mock-ups.

It is truly the way forward but it really is down to the people behind the machines on both sides, if they really wanna invest time and money in working that way.
jaws919 said 7 months ago

everyone should have a pantone color book handy....
Jon Kruse said 7 months ago

jaws919 said: everyone should have a pantone color book handy....

It's surprisingly cheap for some on ebay. I've gotten mailers where they ran into the hundreds, but for $50 I would get one.
kennybanzai said 6 months ago

Anyone have suggestions for good off white pantone colors... I look through all the pms colors...

pms color chart

and I cant find colors I like!... am I being picky???

THere just aren't any good off whites or light tints...or just a variety of whites! a variety of blacks but why not some dang white options!!!

I saw pantone has a pastel book...maybe there are whites in there? I just feel like the PMS Chart here is lacking.
justgeoff said 6 months ago

kennybanzai said: Anyone have suggestions for good off white pantone colors... I look through all the pms colors...
pms color chart

and I cant find colors I like!... am I being picky???

THere just aren't any good off whites or light tints...or just a variety of whites! a variety of blacks but why not some dang white options!!!

I saw pantone has a pastel book...maybe there are whites in there? I just feel like the PMS Chart here is lacking.

Please tell me that this isn't how you pick your PMS colors?
kennybanzai said 6 months ago

haha... well i have the physical pantone uncoated books here as well that I'm borrowing... the color chart linked above is just for a quick peek to show that in that chart, which is similar to the PMS formula guide, there aren't a variation of whites.
You know, really really really light greens, blues,off whites etc...

I just figure if Pantone is claiming to be the masters of color...they should have EVERY color imaginable right?!
Are the whites in the Pastel and Tint books or somewhere special?

Thats all I want to know!

Lets not get into the on screen color vs Real color, designers should never do that, etc....

I'm just asking about PMS WHITES.
derekdeal said 6 months ago

pantone has a book called tints now for coated and uncoated spot colors. It gives you an idea of what the solid colors look like halftoned at different percentages. So around the 10 to 20% range there is a lot more options for off white.

so i guess the workaround is, if you want to stick to the pantone system, find the color you want then play around with subduing it with halftones.
kennybanzai said 6 months ago

Okay..cool.. I guess I can try that. Thanks a lot for the info! I wants to check that book out... haha does the library have it? I'm gonna check...nope not here.

You said, "If you want to stick to the pantone system,..."

Do you know of printers that use a different system? Is there a different system?...
derekdeal said 6 months ago

i dont know how exact printers can get when mixing their own colors so i cant really say, telling them that the color is 3% yellow, 2% red, etc may be way too specific for them to try and match but im not a printer.

Ive given arbitrary numbers to printers like 75% black to ones that couldnt do color matching and things worked out ok, but what you're looking for is way tighter.
GhostBird said 6 months ago

I worked in a big print shop, and I know some here still do, if you give the printer the pantone numbers you want they will match it, don't worry about giving them % just give them the pantone and they will have a book.mixing system to match it.
derekdeal said 6 months ago

GhostBird said: I worked in a big print shop, and I know some here still do, if you give the printer the pantone numbers you want they will match it, don't worry about giving them % just give them the pantone and they will have a book.mixing system to match it.

well yeah, but he wants a color thats lighter than whats in the book
bridawson said 6 months ago

By the book is everyone referring to pantone color bridge?
derekdeal said 6 months ago

oh snap there's a pastel book too, well ill be damned
GhostBird said 6 months ago

derekdeal said:
GhostBird said: I worked in a big print shop, and I know some here still do, if you give the printer the pantone numbers you want they will match it, don't worry about giving them % just give them the pantone and they will have a book.mixing system to match it.

well yeah, but he wants a color thats lighter than whats in the book

there is a good amount of pantone books, I mean it isn't like he is inventing a new color, it has got to be there somewhere.
kennybanzai said 6 months ago

This is true and the reason why it should be easier to find. but i can't in the limited resources I have... so which is why i thoght the pastel and tint books might have it...
It would be great if the Pantone peoples made one book ..with all the colors, pastels, tints, metallics, and some nice WHITES!!! maybe it would be too expensive?
They seem to have provided a solution to aid designers...but it seems like a strange manipulation of getting everyone to buy there color charts. high $$$ ...oh, only the best designers use Pantone...sure sure...I get it. Whatever.
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