Author: Kyzson

Pantone color refers to a standardized color system developed by Pantone called the Pantone Matching System (PMS). Instead of describing a color vaguely as “dark blue” or “bright red,” Pantone gives each color a specific code, such as Pantone 186 C or Pantone 300 U.
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This allows designers, printers, manufacturers, and brands around the world to reproduce the exact same color consistently, regardless of location, printer, or material. 

Pantone began in the 1950s as a small commercial printing company in Carlstadt. In 1956, a young employee named Lawrence Herbert joined the company and used his chemistry knowledge to organize pigments and ink formulas.
At that time, printers had no universal way to match colors. Designers, clients, and printers often relied on verbal descriptions or physical samples, leading to inconsistent results.

​In 1962, Lawrence Herbert bought the company, and in 1963 he introduced the Pantone Matching System. The original system used a small number of base pigments that could be mixed in precise ratios to create repeatable colors.

Pantone was created to solve one major problem: color inconsistency. Before Pantone, a company might ask for “bright red,” but every printer could produce a different shade. A logo printed in one country could look darker, lighter, or more orange in another country.

Pantone created a universal “language of color,” where everyone can refer to the same numbered shade. For example, if a designer specifies Pantone 186 C, printers and manufacturers know exactly which red to produce. 

Pantone is important because color consistency is essential for branding, manufacturing, and product quality.For example:

• A brand’s logo color must remain the same across packaging, brochures, websites, uniforms, and exhibition booths.
• Large companies operating in multiple countries need identical colors on every product.
• Certain colors such as metallics, neon, and fluorescents cannot be reproduced accurately with normal CMYK printing.
• Pantone helps avoid expensive mistakes in printing and manufacturing.

Many famous brands use Pantone references to maintain exact brand colors, including Coca-Cola red, Tiffany & Co. blue, and McDonald's yellow. Pantone colors are even used in flags, uniforms, automotive paint, and government standards.