Why Pantone Color Bridge in Adobe shows different values on my pantone book?

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
January 12, 2017
5 replies
4298 views

Hi,

So I have a Pantone Color Bridge Coated Guide and looked up the Pantone 431 C and found out that the cmyk values of 431 PC are: 45 / 27 / 17 / 51/. But when I go to adobe illustrator and select the 431 CP from the color bridge book it shows different values: 45 / 25 / 16 / 59.

But when I go to adobe illustrator and select the 431 CP from the color bridge coated book it shows different values: 45 / 25 / 16 / 59.

What is going wrong here and which one should I follow?

Thanks in advance,

William

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Mike_Gondek10189183

Community Expert

There is no such thing as an official CMYK equivalent for a PMS or any spot color ink. Adobe has their own , so does Pantone, and they have changed over the numbers they use over years.

You also cannot just send the same CMYk breakdown on your files and expect every printer to get this correct. For example the corrugated case for a beer is printed at a flexographic printer, and their yellow ink is more vibrant and warmer than for example the yellow at a litho label printer than prints the labels for our beer bottles.

T

thegoframe

Inspiring

CMYK builds in illustrator are kind of irrelevant for Pantone colors. Pantone's purpose is to communicate a standard to match color. In that regard, when a printer is told to match a Pantone spec, depending on the printing process, they'll have a number of resources to define a recipe to meet that standard.

As far as what to do, I would purpose you use what is defined in Illustrator, and ensure you have a build consistent throughout the design scope, especially if output is intended to be CMYK.

T

thegoframe

Inspiring

Edit - it looks like you may be trying to compare Pantone 431 C to Pantone 431 CP.

Note this link for definitions on Pantone suffixes: PANTONE Color Suffix differences: C, CV, CVC, CVU, CP, UP - Pantone.com

The short version - these are different ink sets. If your printing a solid on coated paper follow the coated build with output as a spot color. If you're printing a process simulation of a solid, follow the CP build and output as CMYK.