Why use Pantone Colour?
I remember having a meeting with an International company. The client took out his name card and brochure and asked me why the logo colour are different. I told the client that they are printed by two different printing companies. That is why the colour is different.
In Malaysia, logo colour not consistent is quite common because some use different printing companies. Especially if you engage ‘runner’ to do printing for you. These agents don’t have a printing company and they just pass the printing to any printer. They just don’t bother to check whether the printing is correct or not.
In order to make sure that your logo colour is consistent if you have two printing companies, the best solution is to use Pantone. If they follow the Pantone code correctly, the logo colour will be consistent because Pantone make sure the colour will match.
Pantone
Pantone was a commercial printing company in New Jersey. Started by two brothers in the 1950s. Both were advertising executives. They hired a part-time employee, Lawrence Herbert who used his chemistry knowledge to categorize the company’s collection of printing inks and pigments.
Pantone is an extensive range of pre-mixed colours, that each have unique reference code. There are also colours that cannot be printed by CMYK such as metallic and silver. The Pantone guide ensures that the similar colours are used for printing if they are printed at different locations.
Pantone is so accurate that it is a must have for designers and printers. They are willing to fork out RM1000+ to buy the Pantone Colour Swatch book so they have a proper guide to check colour.
Benefit of Pantone
• Colour accuracy
Why did all the big corporation spend tons of money to develope corporate identity manuals. The reason is they want customer to remember their brand. A powerful brand will make the customer recalled the brand by just looking at the colour. For example ‘MILO’ green.
If you are doing printing in three different locations, you can use Pantone code to ensure that the logo colour will be consistent. This will make your brand look consistent and professional.
• Unique Pantone colour
You can also consider using colours that cannot be printed by CMYK for your Packaging box printing such as Pantone metallic and silver colours. This will make your packaging box unique and eye-catching on the shelf.
Drawbacks of Pantone
• Cost for printing
Printing cost is based on how many colour you use for printing. If you use 2 extra Pantone colours for printing, inclusive of CMYK, you will be printing in 6 colours.
Every colour you need to output a printing plate. If you are doing a 6 colour printing. You cost of printing will definitely be higher.
• No digital colour proof
If you use Pantone colour for printing. Digital colour proof cannot print Pantone colour. The only way to show colour proof with Pantone colour is to print actual colour proof using printing plates which will be costly.
Normally we will use digital colour proof and show you the closest CMYK colour to Pantone so you can have an impression how the Pantone outcome will look after printing.
Pantone maroon with silver foil stamping
Apple green, dark green and Black Pantone
Pantone blue printing on silver foil paper
Conclusion
Unlike CMYK which you have to mix 2 colours to get green, orange or purple, Over the years we have been encouraging client to use Pantone colour to do packaging box printing.
Colour will look more solid with Pantone. Maroon will look exactly like maroon, Green will look fresh and black will look sharp on a packaging if you use Pantone colour to do packaging box printing.
If you have any question regarding Pantone, talk to us. We can show you how to use Pantone colour to make your packaging box unique and eye-catching.