What Are Pantone Color Systems?

What is Pantone?

Pantone provides a universal language of colour that enables colour-critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers. More than 10 million designers and producers around the world rely on Pantone products and services to help define, communicate and control colour from inspiration to realization – across various materials and finishes for graphics, fashion and product design. 

WE HAVE TWO COLOR SYSTEMS – THE PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM (PMS), AND THE PANTONE FASHION, HOME + INTERIORS (FHI) SYSTEM

Why two?

A. Different needs. Each system is designed to feature market-relevant colours. Fashion designers need more whites, blacks, and neutrals in their palette, while print and packaging designers need colours that will stand out on a shelf.

B. Different materials. The appearance of colour can change based on the material on which it is produced. In fact, some colours are not achievable at all on a certain material. Having two systems helps to ensure that the colours included are achievable and reproducible based on the materials used.

All of our colour libraries are highly curated and backed by scientific achievability to meet market and manufacturing needs. Our systems are globally available, so when a designer in New York City specifies a certain Pantone Color Number, the manufacturer in Shanghai immediately knows exactly which colour they want – and how to achieve it. Even though they may not speak the same language, they both understand the global colours of Pantone.

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR PANTONE COLOR SYSTEMS

To complement physical colour matching and selection, Pantone offers a full suite of software and devices that make designing with Pantone a simple physical to digital process. 

WHY ARE COLOUR STANDARDS IMPORTANT?

A brand’s colour is critical to its identity – creating associations and expectations, triggering mental images and memories. Studies show that the right colour can increase brand recognition by up to 87%.

In product development, the right colour is the differentiating factor that can capture attention. It is also the most important design element for reflecting mood and style. The right colour can sell products and ideas more effectively by 50-85%.

But, choosing the right colour is only the beginning. Keeping that colour consistent presents multiple challenges that can be solved through Pantone colour systems:

1. COLOUR INTERPRETATION
   
   We all interpret colour in slightly different ways. Even something as seemingly specific as “Navy Blue” can mean noticeably different things to different people. Using a Pantone Color enables you to communicate your precise colour requirements in a language that is recognized around the world.
   
   
2. MULTIPLE MATERIALS
   
   The colour you achieve in final production can vary based on the material – and so can your satisfaction with the results. Pantone’s digital tools and physical colour references allow you to preview and adjust these results before production, helping you to avoid additional time and expense.
   
   
3. MULTIPLE SUPPLIERS
   
   Working with more than one supplier can mean variations in processes and equipment, leading to colour results that can vary significantly. Our physical, digital, and cloud-based colour tools can ensure that your suppliers are all aiming at the same target, for consistent results across the board.
   
   
4. MULTIPLE PRODUCTION RUNS
   
   Your colour may be consistent throughout a production run, but will it match the run before it? Or the one that follows? Colour measurement and evaluation tools from Pantone and our parent company, X-Rite, make it possible to achieve consistent colour from run to run, no matter when or where it is produced.