Branding can be an overwhelming process – but it’s even more challenging when it feels like you and your creative team aren’t even speaking the same language!
From RGB, to CMYK, to PMS, discussions about color systems can sound a bit like alphabet soup. To help, we’ve created a simple guide to shed light on all the most important terms, and help you navigate color system decisions like a seasoned designer.
PMS
PMS stands for Pantone Matching System. The Pantone Matching System is a system of thousands of numbered swatches. Most corporate colors, in a logo, for example, are identified with a number from this system. It is referred to as a PMS number. Pantone colors are also called “spot” colors. This is similar to picking paint at the hardware store for your walls: You refer to swatches and choose by number, and then the color is premixed before application. This is good for applications that are predominantly one color (or two), such as an envelope or notepad. Printing a one- or two-color job can be less expensive than a four-color (CMYK) piece because there are fewer printing plates required. This system creates the most accurate color match for logos and graphics. But remember: Not all PMS colors can be reproduced accurately in four-color (CMYK) reproduction.
Coated Vs. Uncoated
Pantone colors are listed by number. Colors also have a “C” or a “U.” The “C” stands for coated paper, the “U” for uncoated paper. Coated papers have a smooth finish, where the paper is pressed and polished during the manufacturing process. This coating makes the paper less absorbent and takes ink better. Since the ink sits on top of the surface, it remains rich and vibrant. Think of it as the coat of primer you’d use before painting your walls. Uncoated paper is just that: paper without the coated layer. It is more absorbent than coated paper. Minerals in the inks affect the way the color is absorbed. As a result, coated and uncoated versions of the same PMS color will look different. To compensate for this, we recommend different PMS colors for “C” versus “U” applications.
CMYK
CMYK is the abbreviation for the four ink colors that are used in commercial process color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. It is often referred to as full-color printing. While using PMS colors is best for something that prints in limited colors, it is not suitable for reproducing photographic images or multicolor projects. Instead, the four-color (CMYK) process is used. Process color uses a percentage of each of the four colors (CMYK) to create a color. CMYK is used whenever there are full-color images or when the number of colors/inks makes it more practical than using just PMS colors. Commercial offset or web printing is always CMYK. Additional spot or PMS colors can be added for color-matching purposes. CMYK color reproduction can produce a close and accurate match to most PMS colors, but not all PMS colors may translate to CMYK printing. Commercial inks used for offset printing are transparent; the color of the paper stock will show through the ink and affect the appearance of the printed color.
RGB and HEX
RGB stands for red, green and blue. RGB is the color system for computer monitors, video, etc. It is critical to understand that PMS and CMYK colors are for printed pieces and that RGB is for computer applications such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, websites, emails and other digital applications. A HEX triplet is a six-digit, three-byte hexadecimal number used in HTML, CSS, SVG and other computing applications to represent colors. The bytes represent the red, green and blue components of the color. One byte represents a number in the range 00 to FF in hexadecimal notation or 0 to 255 in decimal notation. Finally, it’s important to note: Colors may vary from one monitor to the next as well as from one printer to the next. Variables such as screen brightness, pixel depth, lighting conditions, hue and contrast settings will render the exact same color differently from one computer monitor to the next. The same is true for an in-house printer, based on the paper stock, humidity, toner level, quality of the printer and how often the machine is calibrated.
Just remember: If it feels like your designer is speaking a different language, your client services team is always ready to translate! Contact us for help bringing your next big creative project into living color!
