CMYK vs Pantone: getting the color you expect
If a printed color looks different from your screen, it is rarely a printing mistake. The two use different color systems.
Screens use RGB
Monitors mix red, green and blue light, which can show very bright colors that ink cannot match.
Print uses CMYK
Printers mix cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink. Saturated blues, greens and oranges are often a little duller in CMYK than on a screen.
Pantone references
A Pantone (PMS) number identifies a specific color. Large-format and dye-sublimation printers convert it to the closest CMYK mix. It is the best way to tell us exactly which brand color you mean. It will usually be close, though not always identical to a physical swatch.
How to avoid surprises
- Set your artwork to CMYK before sending, and look at it again — colors shift on conversion.
- Send Pantone numbers for logos and brand colors.
- Check the proof carefully. A printed proof or physical sample is the most reliable way to judge a critical color.
- Keep expectations realistic for fluorescent and metallic colors, which cannot be fully reproduced.
When color is critical, tell us on the order and we will take extra care.