CMYK and Pantone: what is the difference?

Anyone preparing print data soon comes across two terms: CMYK and Pantone. Both describe colours in printing, but in very different ways. Knowing the difference helps you avoid nasty surprises. And your brand colours look the same on every pack and every printed item.

What is CMYK?

CMYK stands for the four process colours in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black). Almost all shades are mixed from these four colours. This does not happen in the ink pot but on the paper. Tiny halftone dots of different sizes sit next to and on top of each other. At normal viewing distance, the eye blends them into a single shade. This is why it is also called four-colour or process printing.

• Strengths: ideal for photos, gradients and multi-colour designs. All colours are created in one pass with just four inks.
• Limits: Some colours cannot be matched exactly in CMYK. These include particularly bright oranges, greens or blues, neon colours and metallics.

What is Pantone?

Pantone is a colour system used worldwide for spot colours, also called solid colours. Each Pantone colour has a fixed number and a precise formula. The ink is mixed exactly before printing and printed as a separate ink. In Germany, the HKS system is also common alongside Pantone.

• Strengths: precisely defined, even areas of colour. Colours outside the CMYK gamut are possible too, including metallic and neon shades. Brand colours stay the same across all jobs.
• Limits: In offset printing, each spot colour is an additional ink with its own plate. That can increase costs. Spot colours are not suitable for photos.

And what about RGB?

RGB (red, green, blue) is the colour space of screens. It can display more vivid colours than printing can reproduce. Print data in RGB is therefore converted to CMYK. Colours can change visibly in the process, especially strong shades. So create your print data in CMYK from the start. Define spot colours as HKS or Pantone colours. More in our article Supplying print data correctly.

Coated or uncoated: C and U

Pantone colours often carry the suffix C (coated) or U (uncoated). The same colour looks more brilliant on smooth, coated paper than on absorbent uncoated paper or kraft board. So choose the colour reference that matches your material.

When CMYK, when Pantone?

• CMYK: for photos, illustrations and multi-colour designs, and when cost is the priority
• Pantone/HKS: for logos and brand colours that must always look exactly the same, and for large, even areas of colour
• Combination: Often the design is printed in CMYK and the brand colour is added as a spot colour. This combines image quality with colour fidelity.

Digital printing and spot colours

In digital printing, spot colours are usually simulated from CMYK. This works very well for many shades, but not for all of them. If an exact brand colour is crucial, offset printing with a true spot colour is usually the safer choice. More in our article Offset or digital printing.

Read how to keep colours consistent across all media in our article What role does colour accuracy play in printing?. Not sure which colour mode suits your project? Our free print data check reviews your files before production. You will receive a binding quote within 24 hours.

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