Note that there is also a SEVEN color process system which adds Orange, Green and Violet (OGV) to the CMYK. They released this guide recognizing how many prints are done in a four-color process, and saw that the same need filled by their Pantone Matching System was also important for CMYK. The Pantone Corporation has released a CMYK Guide, which illustrates 2,868 CMYK process colors and their corresponding values. These dots (visually) blend together and those four base colors can render almost any color imaginable. CMYK printing utilizes four different colors at one time - cyan, magenta, yellow and black.Ī printed image is actually made with tons of miniscule dots of color that, when looked at together, create the color and image shown on your computer. If your project is PANTONE 286, PANTONE Red 032, and Black, than it requires 3 colors (and in most instances, would require 3 different printing plates - more on that later!).ĬMYK, often referred to as “process colors” or 'four color process' are what most people are familiar with because it is what is behind home printers. With a Pantone print, each different color utilizes a different ink. Designers and printers ideally purchase swatch books from the Pantone corporation so they can visually see and confirm how an ink will look when printed. What is “Pantone” and “PMS”? In 1963, Pantone (a company) created the Pantone Matching System (PMS), which numerically codifies and systematizes different colors to create consistency across the industry. When printing, the ink being laid down should match the chosen PMS color. So if you're printing your packaging, you want to be working in the world of Pantone and CMYK. They relate to actual pigments, whereas HEX and RGB refer to colors that are generated by light. Pantone (PMS) and CMYK, on the other hand, refer to colors rendered by printing inks.

They are extremely similar however, RGB allows you to add opacity to a share and HEX does not. HEX uses a mix of six numbers and characters, while RGB uses three sets of three numbers). They are ideally used for things like websites, animation or a jumbotron. HEX and RGB are color models that dictate how colors should render on a screen. Which system should you use for your custom-branded packaging? There are so many acronyms in the world of colors - PMS (or Pantone), CMYK, HEX and RGB are mentioned frequently. Even within a color system like Pantone, coated vs uncoated paper also affects the end result.

Pantone solid coated color chart