Pantone -- Pantone Is Actually a U.S.

Pantone -- Pantone is actually a U.S. corporation headquartered in New Jersey. They are best known for PMS, or a Pantone Matching System, which is a proprietary color space used in printing, paint, fabric and plastics. Pantone is all about the use of shading, tone, and timbre of color -- hundreds of versions of each primary color so that the end user can accomplish just what it is they need. However, Pantone is more than just a color database; it is a driver of style and color for numerous industries. For instance, in 2008, Pantone picked #18-3943, or Blue Iris as the color of the year. Almost instantly, designers in furniture, fabric, carpeting, and home decor picked up that this shade of blue and its compatible colors would be "the" color to use (Horyn).

One example of the use of a one-color Pantone job would be the exact look of a certain logo. For example, a client who works in the Ecology industry and offers solutions for businesses to recycle its computer hardware, to "go green" as it were, would not want a bright red, gold, or blue coloration -- those do not speak of anything earth friendly. Instead, they picked a warm, rich green that has the feel of a mossy forest floor, or summer leaves; not too dark, not too neon, Pantone 376 for instance (Pantone Color Table).

Coloration is often different on the computer monitor than it is when printed, based on the quality and resolution of the monitor, so it is important to find the highest quality in color matching through a diagnostics program like the Pantone Matching System (Pantone Color Matching System). While one is able to get the basic hue correct -- the amount of R, G, or B, some of the subtleties of brightness and contrast are often skewed.