Panatone vs RGB colors

[houseofman]

I had someone recently ask me for a Panatone colour that was relative to a HEX colour I was using. The only way I could find to determine this was by "hit and miss" in the colour charts and compare the percentages shown in the colour editor. Is there a chart available or some other means of calculating this?

Thanks in advance for your help.
--
Phillip

[houseofman]

I had someone recently ask me for a Panatone colour that was relative to a HEX colour I was using. The only way I could find to determine this was by "hit and miss" in the colour charts and compare the percentages shown in the colour editor. Is there a chart available or some other means of calculating this?

Thanks in advance for your help.
--
Phillip

[gwpriester]

Phillip

One of the most common misunderstandings about color is the difference between printed color and color seen on the screen.

All colors displayed on the screen are RGB.

It is not possible to match all colors whether Pantone spot colors, which are designed speficially to be printed as separate, specially mixed printing inks, or CMYK on the screen in RGB and it is even harder to match many screen colors when printing in CMYK or Pantone spot colors.

It all has to do with a thing called Gammut, the range of visible colors in a given color space.

I have discovered this about Pantone spot colors.

If someone gives you a Pantone spot color (actually Pantone Matching System color) number for a logo or some other use and want you to use it to create a web graphic, the color will more closely resemble the Panton printed color swatch if you export the image in Show Printer Colors mode (Windows menu).

I am working on a web site for a client and they sent me their logos as AI files using Pantone spot colors. I exported the logos and they looked fine. Then the client sent me the specific color numbers again and asked me to use them.

Smack upside the head! I exported them in Show Printer Colors mode and there was no further discussion.

Gary

Gary Priester

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[houseofman]

Show Printer Colours when exporting?
That helps out a lot. Thank you for your advice.
--
Phil