Color is extremely important to branding and graphic design. Colors are chosen precisely to convey meaning and invoke feelings, and it’s important that these precise colors remain consistent throughout all elements of branding and marketing. So, how exactly is this done?
Beyond the vague choice of red, green, blue, etc., how are those precise colors chosen and matched perfectly every time? Especially when not everyone perceives colors in exactly the same way. There is an extremely wide range of shades and tones between dark blue and light blue, for example. And if you go to a different printer each time, you’d likely get a slightly different result each time.
What is the Pantone color matching system?
The Pantone color matching system was developed in 1963 to help create a consistency between colors in graphic design. The Pantone Matching System assigned a unique code to 1,867 different colors, providing a universal system for everyone to work off so that specific colors and shades could easily be replicated. The code also specifies whether the paper this color will be printed on should be coated, uncoated, or matte.
This universal system allows designers to see for themselves and show their clients what the chosen color will look like on each of these types of paper. The benefit of this is that the client can receive consistently colored prints across all of their materials, even when buying from different designers and companies.
You can see the vast range of colors on Pantone’s website for these purposes, or you can order a printed book from them for a more accurate representation of the resulting color.
Pantone for brand consistency
Consistency is extremely important when it comes to branding your business. It helps to solidify your brand identity, building recognition and trust among your audience and customers. Once you have decided on the different colors that will be used across your logo and other marketing materials, it is important to keep a note of the Pantone codes for each element.
This information should be recorded in official documents such as your brand style guide so that it can be shared with all your employees and any businesses or designers you engage to create brand materials for your company.
You can support your branding with marketing materials and promotional products from Custom Advertising in Advance, NC. Check out the range of advertising products we have available to order online or get in touch with us for a quote.