Are NCS or RAL values more precise than Pantone?

[Under S.]

An international client sent me specific colors to apply in Photoshop, with 3 versions of each (I'm to pick whichever floats my boat) : NCS, RAL or Pantone.

I'm assuming these are 3 different interpretations of the same color, rather than the exact same CMYK values. Having only ever heard of Pantone, is there any point in my investigating how to use the other two? In other words, since Pantone has so many gaps it doesn't cover, would either NCS or RAL offer more shades (and therefore, a closer representation of the targeted color)?

Thanks!

[Sahil.Chawla]

Hi there,

NCS, Natural Colour System is a logical colour system which builds on how the human being sees colour. Colour is what we see, a subjective visual sensation. To characterize a colour you therefore have to describe what you see. How the colour is mixed, as well as the measurement data, is necessary for production, but to communicate with the customer you need a system in the way people see colours. A notation represents a specific colour percept and says nothing about what pigments, lights rays or nerve signals that have been given rise to this perception. This makes it possible to describe the colours of all surface materials and ensure that the colours turn out exactly as you want them to, The NCS system is used by architects, designers, and material manufacturers, the colour industry, product manufacturers, and retailers the world over.

RAL colour standard. ... In colloquial speech RAL refers to the RAL Classic system, mainly used for varnish and powder coating but nowadays there are reference panels for plastics as well.

The Pantone Matching System standardizes 1,114 colors and assigns each color a number and name. By using the Pantone system, people in different locations can refer to the same color by knowing only the number that identifies it. This helps manufacturers and others to avoid mistakes like color deviation between the design and the finished product. As long as a factory has the right Pantone number for the color of your product, they can be sure about whether or not the color will match your specification.

Regards,
Sahil

[Under S.]

Understood... but when the client provides all 3 as references for the color name, I am assuming Pantone is safest bet to use in Photoshop? I mean, the library is built-in.

[Marja de Klerk]

How are you going to use your design? Pantone is optimized for printing on paper. RAL colors are used for paints and varnishes.

And yes, the Pantone library is build-in, this is the most accurate way to describe the color in Photoshop.

[Test Screen Name]

"CMYK" is the wildly inaccurate thing here. If you are thinking in terms of CMYK values being an accurate colour, you'll find yourself in strong disagreement with us.

Pantone colours are specified in Lab, and have nominal CMYK values from Pantone (I think because customers demanded them; Pantone stopped for a while).  Other colour systems might have identical colours, or they might be specified in different ways so a pure comparison is impossible. Anyway, the great thing is that your client is accountable for the choices! But don't convert to CMYK with any kind of reference please!