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AdamKWork
Participant
July 24, 2017
Answered

Confused about color

  • July 24, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 3053 views

Hello All,

I was told by my work place that are primary color is Pantone 186C so being a web savvy guy I look it up to find google telling me its:

RGB 200 16 46

HEX/HTML C8102E

CMYK 2 100 85 6

Thinking great I will use C8102E for all things web.

Until I open photoshop and illustrator and I get 2 completely different results

Illustrator says:

RGB 207 10 44

HEX CF0A2C

CMYK 12 100 91 3

Photoshop says:

RGB 208 32 47

HEX D0202F

CMYK 12 100 91 2

So which is the right color and how would I know which is the right red? and why are they all different?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer NB, colourmanagement

    Hi adamk

    Pantone swatches match specially mixed Pantone inks when printed onto a specific paper.

    When considering the nearest value to that Pantone colour in the RGB or CMYK colourspace, we need to take into account the icc profile of the CMYK or RGB colourspace. For example the same actual visual colour in either sRGB or Adobe RGB colourspace has different numbers. Same goes for CMYK which is actually a recipe (in simplified terms) for the amounts of each of specific inks when printed onto specific paper at specific densities.

    I suspect that your Illustrator colour settings for RGB and CMYK are different to your Photoshop ones.

    In the RGB and CMYK colour spaces the numbers related to a colour are far from unequivocal unless an ICC profile is provided to reference those numbers against an unequivocal space such as XYZ or L*a*b*.

    I have written something about that here: about icc colour profiles, icc profiles explained | colourmanagement.net

    I hope this helps

    if so, please do mark my reply as "helpful" and if you're OK now, please mark it as "correct" below, so others who have similar issues can see the solution

    thanks

    neil barstow, colourmanagement

    2 replies

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 3, 2017

    Thinking great I will use C8102E for all things web.

    Until I open photoshop and illustrator and I get 2 completely different results

    When getting conversions you also have to be careful about the source definition for the Pantone swatch. Photoshop has always used Lab definitions for the Pantone libraries—the Lab values come from instrument readings of  printed solid color swatches.

    Starting with CS6, Illustrator and Indesign made significant changes to their Pantone libraries. Prior to CS6, the ID and AI libraries used CMYK definitions for the Pantone swatches and part of the transition allowed you to choose between Lab and the legacy CMYK. The CMYK defined swatches are impossible to correctly color manage so now the solid libraries are Lab definitions only, and there are new libraries for process CMYK simulations of the solid inks—Pantone Bridge.

    So to get the sRGB hex value for 186 Coated, make sure the source is the current lab value for the color (45|68|40). Here in the latest Photoshop with no documents open, and my Color Settings set to sRGB:

    The Picker will give the correct conversions to my settings' current working spaces. Note that the CMYK conversion also depends on the Settings' color intent and Black Point Compensation:

      NB, colourmanagement
      Community Expert
      NB, colourmanagementCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      July 25, 2017

      Hi adamk

      Pantone swatches match specially mixed Pantone inks when printed onto a specific paper.

      When considering the nearest value to that Pantone colour in the RGB or CMYK colourspace, we need to take into account the icc profile of the CMYK or RGB colourspace. For example the same actual visual colour in either sRGB or Adobe RGB colourspace has different numbers. Same goes for CMYK which is actually a recipe (in simplified terms) for the amounts of each of specific inks when printed onto specific paper at specific densities.

      I suspect that your Illustrator colour settings for RGB and CMYK are different to your Photoshop ones.

      In the RGB and CMYK colour spaces the numbers related to a colour are far from unequivocal unless an ICC profile is provided to reference those numbers against an unequivocal space such as XYZ or L*a*b*.

      I have written something about that here: about icc colour profiles, icc profiles explained | colourmanagement.net

      I hope this helps

      if so, please do mark my reply as "helpful" and if you're OK now, please mark it as "correct" below, so others who have similar issues can see the solution

      thanks

      neil barstow, colourmanagement

      A
      AdamKWorkAuthor
      Participant
      July 25, 2017

      Hello Neil,

      thank you for getting back to me and this makes sense.

      So basically just use the Pantone 186c as the base and not worry about the RGB or CMYK values as anything being sent to print will be correct.  Just wondering though how do I know which hex color to use on the web though since I am not able to control a users ICC profile on their PC/Mac or do I just pick one and stick with it.


      Thanks again,

      Adam

        NB, colourmanagement
        Community Expert
        NB, colourmanagementCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        July 25, 2017

        Hia AdamK,

        there's a bit more to it than that with Pantone colours and print. if it is set up in a document and printed as a "spot-colour" then it should indeed print right. If it's to be made up from the CMYK inks you (or someone in the workflow) then need(s) to control that.

        Hex, yeah I guess you could do it that way. Choose a hex colour you like and just go with it, if it looks tight on your screen (viewed in a web browser) then others will likely experience something similar.. 

        HIH

        I hope this helps

        if so, please do mark my reply as "helpful", so others who have similar issues can see the solution

        thanks

        neil barstow, colourmanagement

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