Glossary · Visual identity
Pantone (PMS)
In Spanish: Pantone (PMS)
Pantone, or the Pantone Matching System (PMS), is a system of numbered, premixed ink colors that printers use to reproduce a specific color consistently from one job to the next, for example the main color of a brand's logo.
How Pantone colors work
Each Pantone color has a number and a standard ink formula. When you tell a printer your logo uses a specific PMS number, they can mix that ink, or order it premixed, instead of building the color from four process inks.
That's why PMS colors are called spot colors: each one prints as its own ink. Full-color printing in CMYK, by contrast, builds every color from dots of cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
Pantone guides show each color twice, coated (C) and uncoated (U): uncoated paper absorbs more ink, so the same ink looks softer on it. When you record a PMS color, write the letter after the number, C or U.
When to use Pantone and when CMYK is enough
- Use PMS for your logo's main color on pieces where an exact match matters: screen-printed shirts, some offset printing and large orders that must match across materials.
- Use CMYK for full-color pieces with photos, like flyers, brochures and most business cards, where four-color printing is the usual method.
- Use both when your brand appears on many materials: your palette lists a PMS number and a CMYK value chosen for each color.
For an organization in Solano County, one logo may end up on a festival tent, volunteer shirts and yard signs, each from a different vendor. Giving every vendor the same PMS number is what keeps those pieces looking like one brand.
Not every Pantone color has an exact CMYK match. Your palette should list a CMYK value chosen to look as close as possible, not just an automatic conversion.
How to choose and use your PMS colors
- 01Choose from a printed guide. Look at a printed Pantone guide or a printed sample, not only a screen, because screens show color with light.
- 02Record the full code. Write the number and the letter, C or U, in your color palette and your guidelines.
- 03Give it to every vendor. Send the same PMS numbers to your printer, your screen printer and your sign maker.
- 04Ask about the method. Embroidery thread and cut vinyl come in set colors, so your vendor matches your PMS color to the closest thread or vinyl. Banners and printed vinyl usually use CMYK.
- 05Review the proof. Check the colors on it, and for large orders ask whether a printed sample is available.
On branded merchandise and signage orders, your PMS numbers are part of the brand check before production, and if a material or method can only come close to a color, we tell you.