Finding Pantones
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- Stitchy_Lizard
In Photoshop CS4 you can enter a CMYK value and click on colour libraries to find the closest matching pantone colour.
Is there any way to do this in Illustrator CS4? In illustrator I used to do it by eye, but I am convinced there is a faster way to do this.
- zenmasterfoo0
read this as finding my pantalones...
- Stitchy_Lizard0
I am assuming that's a no then...
- monospaced0
The fastest, and only truly reliable way, is to use an actual swatch book. There have been multiple threads on this topic and that is the consensus in each one.
- Stitchy_Lizard0
I understand that, but I am looking for a quicker and more accurate way, and matching the pantone book to the screen is not a good way to go as all our customers work comes in a digital format.
- acescence0
if it's the same as CS3, create a color group in the swatch palette and add your colors to it. select the group and click the edit group button. in the live color window, select the "limit color" dropdown and navigate to color books > whatever pantone book
- Where would I find the live colour window?Stitchy_Lizard
- click the "edit group" button in the swatch panel and it's the window that opensacescence
- Thanks I found it, but its a different process in cs4Stitchy_Lizard
- Stitchy_Lizard0
Back to my original question... can you find a pantone in illustrator simply using illustrator as you can do in photoshop. That is what I would like to know.
- monospaced0
If all your work is digital, then there's no point in using Pantone swatches in the first place. They're really only there to print colors that can't be output using only CMYK and to provide color consistency in the print realm.
- monospaced0
If you insist on using Pantone colors, just open up a library (it doesn't matter which one since you're not printing anything) and use that to pick your colors, regardless of a CMYK value.
- acescence0
i think i've already answered your question
- Stitchy_Lizard0
Ok, to clarify we do screen printing at my shop, so I need a spot colour for the printer, and the customers always give me CMYK values. I am just trying to find a quicker way.
- You do screen printing with Pantone colors and you don't have swatch books? Weird.monospaced
- We do have swatch books... lolStitchy_Lizard
- monospaced0
Just a precaution: the on-screen PMS swatch won't necessarily look anything like the actual PMS color, so if you do plan on screen printing the color at some point, it would still be in your best interest to consult the book.
- Stitchy_Lizard0
Ok, so I found it with a little help from Acescence.... Its different in CS4.
1.Click on the Colour Group your colours are in
2.Click edit colour group icon at bottom of swatch panel
3. Click limit colour groups to specific colour books icon
4. Find the colour book you wish to useThat will convert all your non-spot colours to any PMS Book you choose
- no, it's the same in CS3, i just described it very badly :)acescence
- oh wait, you're right they changed the limit color groups thing slightlyacescence
- Well I found it.. thank youStitchy_Lizard