Colors are an essential part of packaging, as they appeal to consumers and influence the brand’s identity. There are two main color systems in the packaging industry, i.e., Pantone and CMYK.
Getting to know about their applications and differences, can help you to make wise decisions about your various packaging projects.
So, without any further ado! Let’s explore the different features of Pantone and CMYK color systems through this blog post.
What is the Pantone Color System?
It is a color-matching system that focuses on consistency. The word “Pantone” is a combination of two words. The first is “Pan” which means (All) and the second is “Tone” which means (Colors).
Every color has a special code, known as the Pantone color code. This makes it easier to select and remember your choice and is great for standardization.
There are 2,390 solid Pantone colors, including 224 new colors that are released in 2023. One of the most commonly used colors is off white pantone color.
It uses the CMYK model to produce solid colors, while the RGB uses only three primary colors for this purpose.
Pantone colors can either be coated or uncoated. The coated Pantone colors are printed on the surfaces which have a shiny gloss coating. On the other hand, uncoated pantone colors are printed on paper and are a little duller than the coated Pantone.
Its salient features are discussed below:
- Consistency: Pantone colors provide exact results on different packaging stock materials like cardboard boxes or kraft boxes, etc.
- Vibrancy: These colors are vibrant, which is good to set yourself apart from other players in the market. It helps to grab your customers’ attention.
- Distinctiveness: Pantone colors offer metallic inks that provide luster resembling metals. This is not possible when using the CMYK color system.
What is the CMYK Color System?
CMYK is an abbreviation of four colors, namely Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black). In this color system, different proportions of these four inks are combined to produce a wide spectrum of colors.
CMYK provides more color options than RGB, which only uses the three primary colors. These are Red, Blue, and Green.
Its salient features are as follows:
- Versatility: The CMYK color system is great for producing gradient effects. These are ideal for printing photographs and detailed designs.
- Cost Effectiveness: This color system used standard inks. Due to this reason, these are the best options for packaging projects having high volumes.
- Commonness: Although there are countless color options, but you can’t use metallic colors in this color system.
Comparing Different Aspects Of CMYK & Pantone Colors For Packaging
In order to choose the best color system for your packaging, you need to evaluate them on different aspects. It is as follow:
Consistency And Detailing
The Pantone color system promotes consistency, as the exact color can be matched using the Pantone code. This is great to keep your packaging uniform, and to maintain your brand’s identity, like in the case of pharmaceutical boxes.
While, the CMYK is ideal for detailing and photographs, as it provides fantastic gradient results. For example, for phone boxes, it would be great to print pictures of the phone to hook the customers’ attention.
Specialization Or Generalization
Pantone color system offers metallic inks, which can be used to highlight special branding elements on your packaging. Such as your brand’s name, logo, and slogan.
In contrast, to fulfill your standard printing needs, CMYK is more suitable. It offers a wide range of color options to fulfill your requirements.
Huge Volume Production And Cost Efficiency
Normally, CMYK is more economical for projects with huge volumes. This is because standard inks are used in CMYK.
On the other hand, Pantone is more expensive, especially for smaller projects. This is, due to the special options that are offered, in the case of Pantone Color System like metallic inks.
Converting Pantone To CMYK And Vice Versa
Conversion between these two color systems is necessary to match the preferences of different brands in the packaging industry. Due to this, the details about their conversion are discussed below:
Pantone to CMYK Conversion:
To use Pantone colors in CMYK printing, they need to be converted. For this reason, different online tools and Pantone guides are available, such as Vectorization Tool and Adobe Illustrator.
They provide a starting point, but you’ll have to test them by printing, to check the accuracy. Different adjustments are made to get as close to the Pantone color as possible.
CMYK to Pantone Conversion:
CMYK colors are converted to Pantone ones, for achieving standardization and maintaining brand consistency. It is a challenging process because CMYK colors won’t exactly match the Pantone colors.
Pantone libraries and charts are used to find the closest matching CMYK color. Adobe Illustrator and CoralDRAW are also used for this purpose. Test printing is necessary for the evaluation of accuracy.
Final Verdict
All the above discussions have made it clear that both color systems have different Pros and Cons. Many factors contribute to selecting the most suitable color system for your brand. These are as follows:
For precision and consistency, Pantone is preferable. It makes sure to keep your brand’s colors the same.
For complex designs and detailed artwork, CMYK is ideal. It provides perfect color gradients.
If you need special effects like metallic inks, then the Pantone color system is perfect. It helps you to outshine your peers in the market.
CMYK is more budget-friendly for high-volume projects, compared to the Pantone Color System.
By keeping all these factors in mind, choose the best color system for your packaging.
What Comes Next?
When you’ve finalized your Color System, the next thing is to find a professional packaging service provider.
That’s where we come into the bigger picture, as we at Your Box Packaging provide excellent printing results. Our professional staff helps you with the conversion between these color systems.
We offer exceptional services at market-competent rates and our customer support is available 24/7 at your service. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us via email at sales@yourboxpackaging.com to secure a bright future for your company with our assistance.
