Do Pantone Colors Matter?
A few weeks ago, I opened up a working Illustrator file to find a popup notice: due to licensing changes, in November of 2022, Adobe will no longer include the Pantone color swatch libraries in its software subscriptions.
Currently Adobe subscribers can still access Pantone Solid Coated and Uncoated books under the swatch dropdown menu under “Color Books.” The access to Pantone swatches has always been available here, and we mostly use it in Illustrator and InDesign for branding and print design work.
After November 2022, designers will only be able to use Pantone swatches in the Adobe software by subscribing to the Pantone Connect extension.
I was very unpleasantly surprised to see that Pantone Connect’s free plan doesn’t include the ability to load Pantone swatches into Illustrator, so designers will basically be forced to purchase the premium plan. -insert eyeroll-
This new policy (and expense) has stirred up the design community—which is completely understandable! The use of Pantone colors in our software is something our industry has relied on for years. I think we can all agree that Adobe Creative Cloud is an outrageously expensive subscription as it is. Now we have to pay extra…to use color? It sounds pretty ridiculous to say out loud.
As frustrating as it is, I want to break down why it’s important to subscribe to Pantone Connect and to continue using Pantone colors, and why you should not neglect this industry standard.
In this post:
What are Pantone colors?
Why are Pantone colors important?
Why use Pantone colors in branding projects?
Is Pantone still relevant?
Do we really need Pantone Connect?
1. What are Pantone colors?
“Heard of it. Never used it.”
Pantone began decades ago in the 1950s, with its first matching system set up in the ’60s. The Pantone Matching System (or PMS) is a standardized set of almost 2,000 colors, each identified by a number code. Each Pantone color specifies exact measurements of ink that must be mixed to achieve that color in a 4-color printing process (such as offset or screen printing). This enables any printer anywhere in the world to print the exact same color with no error.
As mentioned, we’ve been able to access Pantone swatches in Adobe software. And most designers also own a printed swatch book or fan deck. While the books are a big up-front investment, the great thing is they can be used for many, many years because the color codes don’t change. (I actually still use my mom’s book from the ’90s! Though I will be investing in new books in 2023.)
Using Pantone is also important so that we can see a true printed color while designing on a screen. Often screens are calibrated differently for color, and in general digital colors look much brighter and more saturated. There is a much wider gamut of colors that can be achieved on a screen vs. on a printed piece. Using a Pantone book for reference allows us to really see a true color, to avoid discrepencies, and to show our clients what their brand color will look like in print.
Pantone fan deck; image by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
2. Why are Pantone colors important?
“So why would anyone care this much about color?”
Well, sure, the average brand new small business probably won’t mind if, say, their shade of red is slightly more orangey on one print piece, or slightly darker on another. But let’s dig deeper here.
As designers, we advocate for the importance of a strong, intentional visual brand in every touchpoint. A business can become highly recognizable, memorable, and trusted by having consistency in visuals, including color. And color has a huge impact on how an audience perceives a business, by associating colors with emotions, moods, experiences, or objects.
When I visited the Museum of Brands in London, I was delighted by an exhibit about the easy family of brands and its airline easyJet. It described how the founders strategically selected a bright orange Pantone color that wasn’t used by any other airlines, which is now known as easyOrange and is trademarked by their company. In fact, brand color is so important that multiple organizations hold a trademark on their colors!
For some businesses, having their color look exactly right is incredibly important for consistency and recognition. And while we might not think it matters for small-scale clients, a brand color that looks “off” can definitely reflect poorly on the business.
Imagine if Business A regularly prints vouchers or ads that get handed to their customers. Over time, a customer might collect a handful of these pieces. If each piece has a slightly different shade of red (or whatever color), it looks inconsistent, and therefore sloppy and unprofessional.
Or, Business B creates a subscription box and sources printed pieces from different vendors. Every printed piece in the box—cards, merchandise, worksheets, you name it—is branded to Business B and uses their brand color. But every color is a slightly different shade of that color. Now when a customer receives it, it too looks inconsistent, sloppy, and unprofessional.
The purpose of Pantone is to prevent this from happening. Using offset or screen printing (precisely mixed ink), Business A and Business B can ensure that every single thing they print matches exactly, no matter where they print it, when they print it, or what printer they use.
Plus, while less accurate, even when not using mixed ink, providing a brand Pantone color to a general printer can give them a guide for the color they’re trying to match, and they can usually adjust their printer accordingly.
3. Why use Pantone colors in branding projects?
“Okay, this sounds pretty important for printing, but I still don’t see why a small business would need this.”
As professional designers, we’re hired to set our clients up for long-term success. When designing a brand, we’re (hopefully) not thinking of a quick-fix design that will be redone after a year (that’s what Fiverr’s for!); we’re aiming to create the visual identity of that business, the DNA of their brand. A client comes to a design expert when they’re ready to take their visual brand to the next level. We put thought and strategy into creating a best-fit design solution that communicates everything they’re about—and that includes color.
And it would be doing clients a disservice to assume that they’ll never have bigger needs when it comes to printing and production of their visuals and colors.
The harsh truth: As professional designers, it’s our job to help educate our clients on what they need and why. Any time a client says, “I’m never going to print my logo,” never assume that’s correct. There are loads of unexpected instances beyond the obvious where a business will need to print their logo. And you are the expert they hired to set their business up for success now and in the future. If the client runs into print issues later on down the road because they don’t have standardized Pantone colors, the person that reflects poorly on is you. And you probably don’t want that reputation!
It’s never wise to assume a small business’s needs won’t evolve. Nobody knows what the future holds, and even if they don’t have print needs or growth goals now, it’s remiss to assume they’ll always be a small fish and that they’re just going to stick their logo on their website and never ever do anything else with it.
4. Is Pantone still relevant?
“But in the age of digital-takeover, won’t this become antiquated?”
No, not at all, because of all the reasons I mentioned above!
For another perspective, think about house paint colors. If you’re going to paint your bedroom, you might browse a few swatches online, but it’s much more likely that you’re going to go to the hardware store and look at physical paint swatches. You want to see how that color will literally look on the wall. It is a huge difference than looking at color on a screen. The same is true for Pantone colors for brands.
Pantone colors are also not exclusive to graphic design; they are used across many industries including fashion and textiles, makeup, and interior and industrial design.
Standardized colors aren’t going anywhere. Pantone colors exist for a reason, and have been used by industry professionals and taught in design schools for decades for a reason. They help brands grow.
Pantone swatch book; image by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
5. Do we really need Pantone Connect?
“But Pantone Connect is expensive, and I shouldn’t have to pay to use color.”
I want to validate that this switch by Adobe and Pantone is super frustrating. Do I personally think we should have to pay to use industry-standard colors in the industry-standard software that we’re already paying for? No, I don’t. But the reality is that Pantone and Adobe are two separate companies. We can either accept this shift and follow professional practices, or boycott software and not provide quality service to clients.
Another harsh truth: As professional designers marketing quality services to clients, we shouldn’t be okay with dipping below the industry standards. Your clients shouldn’t miss out on the essential tools they need to grow their businesses because you don’t want to pay for a subscription.
“But having to pay for color makes Pantone exclusive instead of accessible, and I value accessibility.”
I hear you. It would be great if software (including Adobe!) could be more reasonably priced for those in need, especially students and designers just starting out. This is something that I would love to see, too.
That said, boycotting software is not the answer. As a freelance designer, you are running a business. Running a business comes with costs, and skimping on those costs is not only doing your clients a disservice, but is doing your business a disservice, too.
Running a business isn’t cheap. If you expect clients to invest in you, you have to be willing to invest in you. That means budgeting for the essentials needed to do your job, from Adobe Creative Cloud to invoicing software to your website domain to accounting and legal services, and so on. Pantone Connect and Pantone swatch books are another one of these imperative investments that take your business from an amateur designer to a true professional service provider.
If you are a professional designer who values quality, professionalism, industry standards, and truly helping your clients succeed, I hope you’ll consider the importance of investing in your business in this way.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions, concerns, or feedback. I’d love to connect and continue the conversation!
Pantone Resources:
Adobe’s notice of the end of their Pantone swatch license
Another great article about the importance of Pantone colors
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Common tricky design client situations, how to steer them back on track, and how to prevent them altogether.