Precautions for using the PANTONE color card.

Use of PANTONE color cards:

The color card has three functions: color matching, color selection and spot color matching. The so-called color, in fact, is a process of color confirmation on both sides, that is, we determine the specific color according to the color card. Color selection is the designer from the many colors of the color card to choose the most appropriate color and then determine its color number. In the process of color reproduction, a certain color on the color card is used as the reproduction standard and reference to carry out the process of color allocation. Therefore, it can be seen that the color card plays the role of a standard language in the design, communication and reproduction of colors.

When matching PANTONE spot color, each color number has a color blending formula. For example, when deploying PANTONE4745U, the formula is as follows:

1/2PT PANTONE YELLOW 1.3

1/2PT PANTONE RUB RED 1.3

3/8PT PANTONE BLACK 1.0

36 5/8 PTS PANTONE TRANS.WT 96.4

Pt (s) =part (s) indicates the number of different ink ratios. PANTONE YELLOW, PANTONE RUB RED, and PANTONE BLACK respectively represent a basic color of Pantone. There are 14 basic colors in Pantone color card, and their color numbers are based on these 14 basic colors. Add PANTONE TRANS WHITE for adjustment.

The three basic color ratios are expressed as percentages, with PANTONE YELLOW 1.3 indicating that the color is 1.3% of the 100%, and 1/2PT representing half of the weight.

In the actual special color matching process, each basic color of Pantone has a specific Pantone ink, according to the proportion of the formula, respectively weigh different quality of spot color ink for blending, and then proofing or scraping, under the standard light source or the north window with the sun on the color card to compare, if there is a difference, fine tune the amount of ink, re-proofing or scraping. Until the color meets the requirements, record the amount of matching ink.

Problems in using PANTONE color cards:

Although the production process of PANTONE color cards is completed under strict normative control, it is impossible to ensure that the production of color cards is exactly the same due to the many factors affecting the production of production. In addition, the use of color cards is different, will also produce color differences and other problems, here to do a simple analysis.

(1) Even if it is a color card produced in the same batch, the color hue of the same color number will be different. Taking the printing color card as an example, because the paper, ink, equipment, process operation, environment, etc. of the color card printing will have certain changes at any time, it is inevitable that the color of the same color number will produce a certain hue error in a batch of color cards.

(2) The different states used by the color card lead to the difference in color hue. For example, the use of printed color cards is valid for one year, so there will certainly be color changes in the color cards that have just been purchased and those that have been used for nearly a year. Different browsing times, the operator's degree of love, wear conditions, etc., will lead to hue errors.

(3) Built-in PANTONE electronic spot color library in the software, you can intuitively observe the color and obtain the color representation data. However, the difference in color quality of different monitors will cause the same color number to present different effects on the monitor.

(4) In different versions of image graphics software, the same color number, its device-independent representation data (Lab) value will be different, as shown in the following table. In the PANTONE electronic color card built into the X-Rite measuring instrument, the same color number also differs from the Lab value in the software Settings. If different Lab values are used as standards in the replication process, it will inevitably lead to hue differences in the end.

Therefore, for the design using PANTONE color block, the above four problems must be paid attention to in the early stage of design, so as to avoid possible losses.