Colour sells. We all agree on that point, and because of that, we use colour for marketing in a number of different ways. All of the new technologies which developed in the last few decades have caused major changes in colour usage. We now work with a number of different colour systems, each used for a different application. If you plan on having anything produced with colour, whether it is actual or virtual, you have to choose and then use the correct system for what you are doing.
Printers, for many years, did not have any standard guide for colours until the Pantone Printing Company (New Jersey) developed the Pantone Matching SystemTM or PMS.
This guide is now the norm within the industry. Basically, PMS is a purchased ink which is then blended to the desired colour within the PMS system, and each colour has a specific formula. For a print customer, this system allows them to see exactly what they will receive because of the colour consistency of the process. When used in printing, Pantone is the best, the most involved of all of the colour processes because of this, but it is not appropriate for all types of print jobs. The specified colour from the PMS guide is mixed, and then laid (or printed) on the page going one time through the press. You will sometimes see Pantone colours referred to as “spot” colours because they are blended or mixed inks used for printing.
CMYK, an acronym for cyan-magenta-yellow-black, is basically four colour printing. This means the page can go through the printer up to four times, each time distributing a different colour onto the page. All four of these colours, when mixed, produce black.
CMYK works by “subtracting” the light off a page. 
If nothing is printed on the page, it is white (nothing has been subtracted from the light off the page). If all of the colours are printed on the page, it is black (100% has been subtracted from the light of the page, thus black results). When cyan, magenta, and yellow are added in different percentages, a vast number of colours can be created. Black is then added for density. When printing with CMYK, a customer may not always see consistency in the desired colours for there are many variables within this process.
Both PMS and CMYK are colour systems used by printers. There is one more colour system that you need to be aware because you probably use it every day. RGB, an acronym for red-green-blue, is the colour system you see on your computer monitor. It is not used in printing. It is important for you to realize, though, if you create something on your computer screen, that colour is not going to be true to PMS. If you are working in a software program which will allow you to “test” your work in CMYK, that is the closest you will get to a product which will be similar to a traditional printing job. RGB works exactly opposite of CMYK; since your computer monitor is black, this system adds light in varying degrees to the screen to make the colours. When red, green, and blue are added at 100%, your computer screen is white.
The colour system that you use to create your product is only one of several variables. Here are several more things that can affect your printing results:
- CMYK and RGB can imitate some PMS colours almost exactly, but other colours don’t reproduce well at all in these environments. Just because you can see the “right” colour on the screen, don’t assume that your traditional printer will see the same thing in your files. You need to spend the time and choose the colours from the PMS guide so that your product will turn out exactly as you envision it.
- Even if you use Pantone colours, your choice of background can affect how that colour appears. A red-on-black print job will look entirely different than a red-on-white print job. colours play off of one another, and some combinations are better than others for promotional products. You need to work with the experts here (the Art Department) to gain their insights before making final decisions on colour.
- When printing on white paper, you are fairly well assured of how colour is going to look on it. But, when you print on metals, plastic, or polyester, these surfaces will cause your print job to look differently than what it did in your files. Again, consult with the Art Department and use their expertise in accomplishing a pleasing result.
To sum up, when designing your promotional piece, use the correct colour system for what you are trying to create. In addition, consider other factors which can influence the final result and make your decisions accordingly. Don’t be afraid to ask the experts for assistance. Spend time in planning your project, rather than regretting the results later.
Matthew Bywater
Marketing Strategist
For more marketing insight from Matthew check out his blog – www.matthewbywater.com
