Blog/Print Tips
Side by Side
Pantone vs. CMYK: keeping your brand color consistent
The same logo color can look different on a card, a banner and a screen. Here is why it happens and how to specify color so it stays consistent.
Use a spot color when one exact color must match on stationery and forms printed at different times. Use CMYK for photographs and full-color pieces. Record your brand's values for both.
A logo color often looks slightly different on a business card, a banner, a shirt and a website. In most cases nothing has gone wrong. The color has been produced by different methods, on different materials, and each one has its own limits.
Two color systems are used in printing. Understanding how they differ is the first step toward keeping a brand color consistent.
Spot color (Pantone)
- The ink is mixed to a formula before printing
- Each color is identified by a number
- The most consistent result from job to job
- Used mainly in offset printing
Process color (CMYK)
- Cyan, magenta, yellow and black, printed as small dots
- Reproduces photographs and full-color designs
- The standard for digital and wide format printing
- Some colors can only be approximated
Why the same color looks different
- Screens and paper work differently. A screen produces color with light. A printed piece reflects it. A color on a monitor is not a reliable reference for print.
- Paper changes the result. Coated paper holds ink on the surface and colors look more intense. Uncoated paper absorbs ink and colors look softer.
- Each process has its own range. Offset, digital and wide format equipment use different inks, and vinyl or fabric respond differently from paper.
- Some colors are outside the CMYK range. Certain bright oranges, greens and blues cannot be matched exactly with four inks.
Spot color
A spot color is a single ink prepared to a specific formula. The Pantone Matching System is the reference most widely used to identify these colors: each one has a number, and that number describes the same target color for any printer.
Spot colors are the most dependable way to keep a logo color identical on letterhead, envelopes and forms that are printed months apart. They are best suited to jobs with one or two colors. Adding a spot color to a full-color job is possible, and it increases the cost.
Process color
CMYK printing builds every color from four inks. It is the method used for photographs and for any design with many colors, and it is the standard for digital presses and wide format printers.
Most spot colors have a CMYK equivalent that is close. For some the difference is visible, which is why a brand color should have its CMYK values defined in advance and not converted automatically each time.
Side by side
| Factor | Spot color | CMYK |
|---|---|---|
| How the color is made | One ink, mixed in advance | Four inks, combined on the sheet |
| Consistency between jobs | Highest | Good, with some variation |
| Photographs | Not suitable | Yes |
| Typical use | Stationery, forms, one and two color jobs | Brochures, flyers, banners, full-color pieces |
| Printing methods | Mainly offset | Offset, digital and wide format |
| Difficult colors | Reproduced exactly | Approximated |
How to specify a brand color
- Record the Pantone number. The letter after the number indicates the paper: C for coated and U for uncoated.
- Record the CMYK values to be used when the piece is printed in process color.
- Record the RGB or HEX values for screens and websites.
- Keep all three on a single page and send it with every order, to every supplier.
- Provide a printed sample. A previous piece that was approved is the most useful reference we can receive.
A common misunderstanding. The color on a monitor or a phone is not the color that will print. When color is critical, ask for a printed proof before the full job is produced.
What to expect
A small variation between different materials is normal, and it is rarely noticed when pieces are not placed side by side. The practical goal is consistency within a narrow range. It helps to tell us which piece should be treated as the reference, so that the others are matched to it.
Our posts on offset and digital printing and on print-ready files cover the related decisions.
If your brand colors have never been defined, or if they look different from one piece to the next, contact us with your logo file and a printed sample. We will help you establish the values to use.
