pantone
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- orangeglue
i was looking at the pantone website to see what the difrence is between the 4 color process guide and the formula guides were. - - this is what i gathered. the 4 color process is for cmyk and their color combinations. the formula guide gives you more custom colors?
- Duane0
You're right about the 4 color process guides - they show you how to approximate a Pantone color using CMYK. The formula guides detail how many parts of each color it takes to mix the Pantone color - there are no more custom colors though - what you see below the chip is the mixture to get the color. Formula guides work, but I personally prefer the solid chip books. Ultimately they are a much handier resource as they show both coated and uncoated applications and have perforated swatches.
- orangeglue0
hmm.. im finding more infoon my own. i was right about the 4 color process.. and the other pantone set is for more custom colors.
i assume taht the 4 color process would be more ideal because no matter which printer i go to.. they have this color.. its 4 color process..am i right? hah im just assuming
- Duane0
If you want really want these for print reference, you will need the 4 color guide for when you run CMYK jobs and the solid chips books for when you run straight PMS colors. There is a difference (albeit subtle) between a PMS in the 4 color guide and a PMS color with the same number in the solid chips guide.
- orangeglue0
hmm.. i guess im wrong about the other thing giving you more colors...
- orangeglue0
i think i have it now. pms colors/solid colors are for colors already made. which are pure. and the CMYK set are for print. you mix it in the computer. and it gets mixed during the printing process?
- orangeglue0
argh. im making this harder than it seems. im so sorry.
- Duane0
You're getting closer. Both solid chips and the 4 color guide are for print. Don't forget - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black are all Pantone colors. They can be combined in CMYK printing to approximate more complicated colors through the use of overlapping halftones. The 4 color guide is for reference when matching a Pantone color using a 4 color mix. The solid chips are for matching a solid Pantone color using a Pantone ink that has been mixed to match that swatch (they reference the Formula guide to mix this solid color). Make sense? If not, read up on printing basics and the difference between CMYK (4 color) and spot color printing.
- orangeglue0
OH! i have it now! ok i understand fully. thank you soo soo much! If i ever want that PMS... i could always "mix" it in the computer and have it printed in cmyk... because it says its possible in cmyk process. and if ever i want true color.. i just order that pms color and use it
- Duane0
Glad to help.
Basically, yes - you've got it. They are just reference systems for color. If you are printing on a 4 color press, you specify the colors in your file using the mixes in the 4 color guide. If you specified them using the Pantone solid chips, the colors will not necessarily match the solid colors as some Pantone colors do not convert to CMYK.
The Pantone system gives you something to match to from printer to printer thus ensuring consistent color. You use a different system depending on the process (4 color, spot color, plastics, textiles, etc.) that's why they have so many different color guides. Each is customized to the output or material application.