The Difference Between Pantone & CMYK

Pantone colors are pre-mixed by printers to be used as specific ink colors.

Graphic designers must understand the differences between Pantone colors and process colors created with CMYK. How a job will be printed determines which color method to use.

Printing

Pantone colors are used for spot color printing. CMYK is used for full color process printing. Pantone colors are pre-mixed ink colors, while full color process creates colors and images through overlapping various proportions of cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

Selection

Spot colors are chosen from the Pantone Matching System (PMS) color swatch book which contains hundreds of specific Pantone colors.

Separations

When separated into plates for the printer, every image or text that is of the same Pantone color is contained on one plate. If there are two Pantone colors plus black, there will be three plates. CMYK jobs contain four plates (cyan, magenta, yellow and black).

Accuracy

Pantone colors are more vibrant and accurate and tend to present a crisper, graphic quality. CMYK allows more color possibilities, but a poor print job or color mixture can result in duller, less accurate colors.

Usage

Pantone colors are used for commercial print jobs normally printed in one, two or three specific colors. CMYK is used in magazine and newspaper publishing and for any print job with full color images.

References

• Graphic Design Employment.com: Four Color Process Printing and Spot Color Printing
• Printernational: What is Pantone