The Pantone Matching System is the universal authority on color that standardizes colors on printed materials.
Why can’t my designer provide me with Pantone colors?
Let’s envision that you’ve recently approved your new logo and launched your new website. You love it! Now, it’s time to print business cards, signage and more. How do you ensure that the color you are seeing on the screen is the color you’ll see in print? After all, each monitor has different color and light settings, and there’s no true way of keeping colors consistent from screen to screen.
Your printer may request your PMS (Pantone) colors. Your next thought is to ask your designer for these codes. Here is the problem: At this point, your designer has no way of knowing what your printed color preferences truly are. Remember, the colors on your screen may vary from the colors your designer sees on her screen. To have your graphic designer select a printed color scheme for you remotely, would be like ordering paint colors online. Your designer would have to guess your printed color preference. If you then received your printed materials and did not like them, you would have to have them reprinted, potentially wasting hundreds of dollars in printing and your precious time.
How do I select Pantone colors?
The best way to select your PMS colors is in-person. You can buy a Pantone booklet online at http://www.pantone.com/formula-guide and then select your color codes. You can also stop-in to your local printer’s office and request to select pantone colors in-person. This allows you to keep your logo colors consistent no matter who you hire for printing in the future. You can also request that your printer show you a few options of colors printed on various types of paper. If you are looking for a metallic color or embossed print option, your local printer can also provide guidance in this area. Once selected and confirmed, these colors can be referenced to keep all printed materials consistent in the future.
Why should I choose Pantone colors?
This may seem like an unnecessary task, but it will save you from wasting precious marketing dollars because your printer or designer chose the “wrong” shade of blue.
Aside from mere aesthetic preference, utilizing specific Pantone colors ensures brand consistency across all of your printed marketing materials. How important is that color consistency? Think about the classic colors of the Pepsi logo, or the familiar shade of green one finds on a Starbucks cup. Now imagine if the Pepsi red suddenly became pink, and the Starbucks logo went from green to lime green. Changing your brand’s colors confuses your consumer and alters the meaning of your message. Of course, your dental practice might not be as globally recognized as Pepsi and Starbucks, but having a consistent brand message across all of your marketing materials remains important. Brand consistency conveys an attention to detail and a sense of accuracy that patients expect from their dentist. It also makes your brand more memorable to potential new patients.