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MartinPopp
Participant
April 9, 2020
Answered

Pantone-Colors - differences between Illustrator CC and pantone.com

  • April 9, 2020
  • 5 replies
  • 4762 views

Hi there,

 

the CMYK information for Pantone-Colors in the app and on the website are different (see example below). How can I fix this problem / which information is correct?

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer silk-m

Hi,

I'm sorry, but I've corrected a previous post due to a serious mistake.

 

The "PANTONE+ Color Bridge Coated" swatch is bundled with the Adobe application from CS6. And it was never updated afterwards.
However, "PANTONE Color Finder" has been updated.

So now there is a difference in the color percentages, but they are not right or wrong. This is because the converted conditions are different.

The PANTONE Formula Guide is original, and using it in spot colors is the correct way to use it.

"PANTONE Color Bridge Coated V4" installed fromPANTONE Color Manager has the same value as "PANTONE Color Finder".

"PANTONE+ Color Bridge Coated" should be considered the CMYK value provided in "PANTONE solid coated.acb and PANTONE solid coated.acbl" before CS5.

5 replies

Lukas Engqvist
Community Expert
Lukas EngqvistCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 14, 2023

Just worth a mention that the new Pantone books differ from old pantone books even in the colours being mixed (But with the same Pantone Numbers)… and I'm even talking about Pantone on a specific substrate. If Pantone is note even consistent with itself how do we expect applications to be consistent. (We have two digital printers and noticed there was a variance in the colour, and when checking older and newer books we saw that the printer Pantone Libraries are consistent with the books for the same year as the release) differences can be in hue, lightness or saturation.

Lukas Engqvist
Community Expert
Lukas EngqvistCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 17, 2022

You may want to read small print on your books and or digital files. The values for process colours varies depending on printing conditions (ICC Profiles). I have two books with different conversion values the one is for Fogra39 the other says CGATS. Using LAB values and converting to your ICC may give even better results, remember that there is both document colour settings and application colour settings so there is still plenty East's to make problems. 

    T
    Test Screen Name
    Legend
    April 10, 2020

    The key thing is that there is NO single fixed CMYK translation of Pantone colours. So what is wrong is that you expect it. For a while, Pantone themselves stopped giving people CMYK values, which was the right decision. But their customers demanded these number back, rather than learn how colour actually works. 

      alyssaw56926422
      alyssaw56926422
      Participant
      September 14, 2022

      Understanding that there is no single CMYK translation, would the Pantone provided values be the "most consistent"? For example if you need to provide CMYK brand guidelines for a logo. 

      Monika Gause
      Community Expert
      Monika GauseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      September 14, 2022

      No. Those Pantone values don't take into account the paper you use, the printing process or even the region you are printing in (different color profiles in Europe and the US for example).

        silk-m
        Community Expert
        silk-mCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
        Community Expert
        April 9, 2020

        Hi,

        I'm sorry, but I've corrected a previous post due to a serious mistake.

         

        The "PANTONE+ Color Bridge Coated" swatch is bundled with the Adobe application from CS6. And it was never updated afterwards.
        However, "PANTONE Color Finder" has been updated.

        So now there is a difference in the color percentages, but they are not right or wrong. This is because the converted conditions are different.

        The PANTONE Formula Guide is original, and using it in spot colors is the correct way to use it.

        "PANTONE Color Bridge Coated V4" installed fromPANTONE Color Manager has the same value as "PANTONE Color Finder".

        "PANTONE+ Color Bridge Coated" should be considered the CMYK value provided in "PANTONE solid coated.acb and PANTONE solid coated.acbl" before CS5.

        --Susumu Iwasaki
        silk-m
        Community Expert
        silk-mCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 12, 2020

        I will add further.
        Prior to CS5, three swatches "PANTONE color bridge CMYK UP.acb, PANTONE color bridge CMYK EC.acb and PANTONE color bridge CMYK PC.acb" were bundled.
        This is a different CMYK value from "PANTONE+ Color Bridge Coated".

        --Susumu Iwasaki
        Ton Frederiks
        Community Expert
        Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 9, 2020

        Adobe applications use color management to convert a Pantone ink to the closest possible CMYK equivalent.

        This depends on the CMYK working space in your color settings.

        Pantone just gives CMYK values which may or may not be correct for your printing process.

        I would go for the Adobe color managed solution.

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