How to Convert Rgb to Pantone Colors

To create printed materials that closely match the colors on a website, the Web's color standard of red, green and blue (RGB) components must be converted to Pantone colors. Pantone colors are the industry standard among commercial printers. To convert RGB to Pantone colors, programs such as Adobe Photoshop and QuarkXPress provide Pantone suggestions. Other useful tools for converting RGB to Pantone colors include Pantone color chips and online conversion guides.

Things You'll Need

• Pantone RGB Color Bridge chart
• Graphics software

Instructions

1. Determine the RGB breakdown of the color you need to convert. In most software applications, you can double-click on the color to find the breakdown. Write down the number values for red, green and blue.

2. Make the conversion. Adobe Photoshop will give you a suggested Pantone color by clicking on the "Color Libraries" button. Another option is to enter the RGB values into an online conversion chart, such as the one linked in the References section. You can also refer to a printed Pantone RGB Color Bridge chart (see link in References) to find a Pantone color that most closely matches the RGB color.

3. Update the colors on the document you need to print to reflect the new Pantone color before sending to a printer.

Tips & Warnings

• Finding an exact Pantone color match to the RGB color may not always be possible.

References

• Pantone
• Pantone RGB Color Bridge
• Netfront RGB to Pantone Calculator

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish