Pantone and Color Management

[atad6]

I would like to start educating myself on the complicated art of color management and getting work ready for print. If anyone has any recommendations for books/references on the subject that'd be great.

I also started to look at the Pantone swatch sets but am overwhelmed by all the different products.

I don't understand the difference between the Formula Guides and Color Bridge. The color bridge has the Pantone colors as well as what it will look like when reproduced in cmyk correct? If this is true what is the purpose of the formula guide which doesn't have the cmyk equivalents?

All of this seems even more complicated with the introduction of their Goe set which uses a completely different formula system.

What are your recommendations for which Pantone set to purchase. They are kind of expensive so I wanted to buy what will be most useful.

 

[shecky]

the pantone set i would say is a must own for any print designer is the Pantone Essentials +. i would also buy the solid chip books if you do a lot of client work with clients who do not have their own books; that way you pull off a chip to send along with a proof, etc. so they can see actual colors.

the bridge just shows what is possible in CMYK that most closely matches a spot PMS color. what is interesting is how many of them are not very close at all. the regular formula guides are colors made only with spot colors.

i am in a rush but i will post again later on color management.

 

[atad6]

Thanks for the reply! So does color bridge just include how the Pantone spot color will be reproduced in CMYK or does it also have next to the actual Pantone spot color next to it? If it has both then isn't the formula guide redundant? That's what I'm confused about.

Edit:

Also what about the tints? Are having those not necessary? What about the Goe system, is that something new they're moving to. Since the books are often updated, is there a right time to buy so it's not outdated? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to figure this all out.

 

[lowonthe456]

color management isn't really all that hard to understand. if you regularly send things to a certain printer/service bureau (RIP) or digital house, ask them for profiles and what color spaces they use....trust me, the last thing we need is ANOTHER stupid designer...so questions like these are welcome. We help YOU to work smarter and in return means less work for us. Your printer is your friend.

the trick is to find a printer that correctly utilizes an icc workflow. any good printer will, alphagraphics will not. this should be a critical thing to look for if you are brokering as well as designing (which means more money for you).

If you are designing and delivering a disk to the client, then there is very little you can do other than know that far less PMS colors can accurately be recreated in CMYK than pantone says. So unless its a company logo, giving someone PMS colors in CMYK (ie: me) means that color is a ballpark, not an absolute.

 

[Vesnessa]

Fading Pantones & varnishes

Could anyone tell me why a shoebox printed with a PMS712c (pale apricot colour ) and coated in matte cello glaze fades quicker than a shoebox printed in PMS468 (cream colour) that is coated in a gloss varnish.

Is it the ink colour or the varnish do you think?

 

[Z.Beeblebrox]

Is the gloss varnish a UV gloss? If it is, it is designed to be less fade resistant. Might also be the paper stock.

 

[Kwill]

...All of this seems even more complicated with the introduction of their Goe set which uses a completely different formula system.

What are your recommendations for which Pantone set to purchase. They are kind of expensive so I wanted to buy what will be most useful.

Have you looked at Pantone ColorMunki Design?