The History of Pantone

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The History of

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The story behind the colors that make up the design that surrounds us.

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PANTONE

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By Hue C. Tintsworth Staff Writer

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45 | Culture | May 2019

P

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antone LLC is a lim-

Brothers for $90,000 (equivalent to

ited

$5,880,000 in 2018) and renamed

liability

com-

them “Pantone”.

pany headquarin Carlstadt,

The company’s primary prod-

New Jersey. The company is best

ucts include the Pantone Guides,

known for its Pantone Matching

which consist of a large number of

System (PMS), a proprietary col-

small (approximately 6×2 inches or

or space used in a variety of in-

15×5 cm) thin cardboard sheets,

tered

dustries, notably printing, though sometimes in the manufacture of

PANTONE

printed on one side with a series of related color swatches and then bound into a small “fan deck”. For

colored paint, fabric, and plastics.

X-Rite, a supplier of color mea-

instance, a particular “page” might

surement instruments and soft-

contain a number of yellows of

ware, purchased Pantone for $180

varying tints.

million in October 2007, and was

The idea behind the PMS is to

itself acquired by Danaher Corpo-

allow designers to “color match”

ration in 2012.

specific colors when a design en-

Pantone began in New York

ters production stage, regardless of

City in the 1950s as the commer-

the equipment used to produce the

cial printing company of broth-

color. This system has been widely

ers Morris and Jesse Levine, M &

adopted by graphic designers and

J Levine Advertising. In 1956, its

PANTONE

reproduction and printing houses.

founders, both advertising execu-

Pantone recommends that PMS

tives, hired recent Hofstra Univer-

Color Guides be purchased annu-

sity graduate Lawrence Herbert as

ally, as their inks become yellowish

a part-time employee. Herbert used

over time. Color variance also oc-

his chemistry knowledge to system-

curs within editions based on the

atize and simplify the company’s

paper stock used (coated, matte or

stock of pigments and production

uncoated), while interedition col-

of colored inks; by 1962, Herbert

or variance occurs when there are

was running the ink and print-

changes to the specific paper stock

ing division at a profit, while the

used.

The Pantone Color Matching

commercial-display division was $50,000 in debt; he subsequently purchased the company’s tech-

PANTONE

System is largely a standardized color reproduction system. By standardizing the colors, different

nological assets from the Levine 46 | Culture | May 2019

manufacturers in different loca-

The (discontinued) Goe system has

tions can all refer to the Pantone

RGB and LABvalues with each

system to make sure colors match without direct contact with one another.

Timeline of PANTONE

color.

Pantone colors are described by their allocated number (typically

One such use is standardiz-

referred to as, for example, “PMS

ing colors in the CMYK process.

130”). PMS colors are almost al-

The CMYK process is a method of printing color by using four

1962: Pantone founded by Lawrence Herbert

ways used in branding and have even found their way into gov-

inks—cyan, magenta, yellow, and

ernment legislation and military

black. A majority of the world’s

standards (to describe the colors

printed material is produced us-

of flags and seals). In January 2003,

ing the CMYK process, and there is a special subset of Pantone col-

1963: Pantone Color Matching System debuted

the Scottish Parliament debated a petition (reference PE512) to refer

ors that can be reproduced using

to the blue in the Scottish flag as

CMYK. Those that are possible to

“Pantone 300”. Countries such

simulate through the CMYK process are labeled as such within the

1986: Pantone Color Institute introduced

as Canada and South Korea and organizations such as the FIA have also chosen to refer to specific Pan-

company’s guides.

However, most of the Pantone

tone colors to use when produc-

system’s 1,114 spot colors cannot

ing flags. US states including Tex-

be simulated with CMYK but with 13 base pigments (14 including

1999: First Pantone Color of the Year announced

as have set legislated PMS colors of their flags.

black) mixed in specified amounts.

On September 5, 2007, Pantone

The Pantone system also allows

introduced the Goe System. Goe

for many special colors to be produced, such as metallics and fluorescents. While most of the Pan-

2007: Pantone acquired by X-Rite

consisted of over 2,000 new colors in a new matching and numbering system. In addition to the standard

tone system colors are beyond the

swatch books (now called the Goe-

printed CMYK gamut, it was only

Guide), the new system also in-

in 2001 that Pantone began providing translations of their existing

2012: Danaher Corp buys X-Rite

cluded adhesive-backed GoeSticks, interactive software, tools, and an

system with screen-based colors.

online community where users

Screen-based colors use the RGB

were able to share color swatches

color model—red, green, blue—

and information.

The Goe system was streamlined

system to create various colors.

47 | Culture | May 2019

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to use fewer base colors (ten, plus clear coating for reflections) and accommodate many technical challenges in reproducing colors on a press.

The Pantone Goe system was discontinued in November 2013.

In mid-2006 Pantone, part-

The Pantone Color Matching System is largely a standardized color reproduction system.

OG

process.

Hexachrome

was discontinued by Pantone in 2008 when Adobe Systems stopped supporting their HexWare plugin software.

Pantone Color Manager allows for users of the Adobe Creative Suite as well as other software to import the most up

nering with Vermont-based Fine Paints of Europe, in- to date information inclusive of L*a*b* numbers as well troduced a new line of interior and exterior paints. The as CMYK and RGB representations of all the various color palette uses Pantone’s color research and trending palettes. L*a*b* numbers allow for the most accurate and has more than 3,000 colors. In November 2015,

representation of color in a device-independent man-

Pantone partnered with Redland London to create a ner. collection of bags inspired from Pantone’s authority on

Since 2000, the Pantone Color Institute declares a particular color “Color of the Year”. Twice

color.

Pantone also produced Hexachrome, a patented six-color printing system. In addition to custom CMYK inks, Hexachrome added orange and green inks to expand the color gamut, for better color reproduction.

It was therefore also known as a CMYK-

An example of the classic Pantone color swatch “fan deck,” with its color name, identifying number, and example.

Photo Credit: Carlos Paes, Wikimedia Commons

48 | Culture | May 2019

a year the company hosts, in a European capital, a secret meeting of representatives from various nations’ color standards groups. After two days of presentations and debate, they choose a color for the following year; for example, the color for summer

2013 was chosen in London in the spring of 2012. The color purportedly connects with the zeitgeist[citation needed]; for example, the press release declaring Honeysuckle the color of 2011 said “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward

The Matching System is often used in the fashion industry, for color accuracy.

PC: Zaw Min Tin, Pixabay

off the blues.” The results of the meeting

lectual property of Pantone and free use

The Matching System reproduces colors accurately.

PC: Joyful spherical creature, Wikimedia Commons

of the list is not allowed. This is frequently held as a reason Pantone colors cannot be supported in open-source software and are not often found in low-cost proprietary software. Pantone has been accused of “being intentionally unclear” about its exact legal claims, but it is acknowledged that “the simplest claim would be trademark misappropriation or dilution towards someone who produced a color palette marketed as

are published in Pantone View, which fash-

compatible with Pantone’s”. Pantone pal-

ion designers, florists, and many other con-

ettes supplied by printer manufacturers can

sumer-oriented companies purchase to help

be obtained freely, and usually do not come

guide their designs and planning for future

with usage restrictions beyond a sales ban on

products.

hard copies of the palette.

Pantone asserts that their lists of color numbers and pigment values are the intel-

Hue C. Tintsworth is a writer living in Shadesville, Alabama. You can find more of his writings at tintsworth.com

49 | Culture | May 2019