PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM

What are PMS colors? PMS stands for Pantone

Matching System. Pantone is the name of the
company that publishes colour codes. PMS or colors
(also called Pantone colors) are standardized colors
in which the ink is pre-mixed to the right colour.
These PMS colors are the same all over the world
and are well known to almost all printing companies.

Is a SPOT color PMS? Spot or spot colors can be PMS

colors but this is not necessary, they are additional
inks/finishing that are used in printed matter by
means of a separate printing plate. A good example
is the Thrucut for cutting, or the coldfoil for applying
cold foil.

Is a PMS print always and everywhere the same colour? The ink colour of the PMS colour is always the same. However, this
does not mean that the colors will look the same on every printed product. The underlying paper type can absorb the ink in
different ways, which can result in colour differences per paper type. The differences in the PMS colors on different types of
paper are indicated by a letter after the colour code. For example, 'U' stands for 'Uncoated', while 'C' stands for 'Coated',
coated types of paper. You also have other substrates/reviews: 'TC' Textile Cotton, 'DS' Digital Screen, 'CV' Computer Video,
'TP' Textile Paper, which has now been replaced by 'TPX' Textile Paper eXtended.

What this means is that all colour can be converted. A PMS 485c will appear different from a PMS 485ds, technically it is the
same “ink”. The simulation of the colour is done by the computer.

You must be careful when changing a PMS colour on letterheads, business cards or even envelopes. These products are
mostly ordered in PMS to get the exact same result as before.

When you have textile, tape, caps or cardboard (packaging) the PMS colour will change when we apply it to the product.
Changing a colour for these orders is not as bad as for the paper orders. Changing a 485 CVC to a 485 C is no problem.

You can only change the standard PMS colors. This is the range from 1-799 and in 4 digits 1-7999. All PMS numbers
starting with 8xx and 8xxxx are the metallic or pastel colors cannot be printed. Small exception: we have some for textile.
The 872 c (gold) and 877 c (silver) can be printed as well as neon Orange, Green, Yellow, Blue and Pink.

Is white a PMS color? White only counts when it actually needs to be printed. On white paper, for example, this is not
necessary because white is being saved. If the logo has a colored area with white text in it and you want to print this logo on
a type of paper, then white does not count as a PMS colour, but on a red sweater it does.

There is no PMS white, we use a CMYK 0,0,0,0% as white.

The standard PMS systems explained:

The standard is the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM (examples: PANTONE 185 C, PANTONE Cool Gray 1 U). These are colors for
printing ink on paper. Normally a three- or four-digit number followed by a C or U. There are also a small number of name
colors (the 18 basic colors) such as PANTONE Reflex Blue C or PANTONE Orange 021 U.

PANTONE METALLICS (examples: PANTONE 877 C, PANTONE 8244 C) The colors are identified by a three- or four-digit
number starting with "8", followed by a "C" to indicate a coated paper. There is no uncoated version of PANTONE METALLICS
Colors.

PREMIUM METALLICS as the metallics but starting with number 10 (example: PANTONE 10286 C).

PANTONE PASTELS & NEONS (examples: PANTONE 915 U, PANTONE Yellow 0131 C). The colors are indicated by a three- or
four-digit number starting with '9'. There are two exceptions: the neon base colors, which begin with "8" and the pastel
base colors, which have a color name. Each colour has a suffix C or U, these colors are not standard.

PANTONE CMYK / 4-Colour PROCESS DATA (examples: PANTONE P 11-4 C, PANTONE P 69-15 U). This is an independent
collection of almost 3000 CMYK colors that are not related to the standard PANTONE colors and therefore not usable by us.

PANTONE COLOR BRIDGE (example: PANTONE 185 CP, PANTONE 425 UP) This range contains side-by-side printed equations
of the fixed PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM Colors and their nearest four-colour process equivalent.

The other systems:

PANTONE EXTENDED (examples: PANTONE 7662 XGC, PANTONE 347 XGC)
PANTONE PLASTICS Selector Chips (examples: PANTONE Q270-2-4, PANTONE T925-5-5)
PANTONE Plastic Standard Chips (large plastic chips) (examples: PANTONE PQ-185C, PQ-19-4007TCX)
FASHION, HOME + INTERIORS Paper, Cotton, and Nylon Guides and Standards
(Examples PANTONE 14-4510 TPX or Aquatic, PANTONE 15-1247 TCX or Tangerine)