Has anyone used the Pantone BRIDGE colour scale for process printing? Im trying to locate the 2296C Pantone colour in Illustrator.
![Screen Shot 2021-09-30 at 08.54.02.png]( "Screen Shot 2021-09-30 at 08.54.02.png")
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working with Pantone colours and Illu
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If you purchased your color book recently, you should be able to login to Pantone and download an updated color palette and install that in Illustrator. At least, I think that is how it works.
You can access the Color Bridge swatch library by going to the swatch palette, clicking the hamburger icon in the upper right corner, then down to "Open Swatch Library" and over to "Color Books" then over to "Pantone+ Color Bridge" and selecting coated or uncoated.
However, a search for "2296" turns up empty for me. I believe this is because I need to login to Pantone's site and download updated swatch libraries that are only available if I've purchased a color book recently.
However, a search for "2296" turns up empty for me. I believe this is because I need to login to Pantone's site and download updated swatch libraries that are only available if I've purchased a color book recently.
The Pantone colour code i attached in post#1 was from the Pantone official site. You are saying that it turned up empty just because u do not have a recent colour book purchase?
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My understanding is, first of all, that the search function is terrible. There are colors that won’t show up if you put in the proper color number, but if you put part of it in, or even something similar, sometimes you can get to it.
But, more pertinent to what I was saying: the color books in Creative Cloud are outdated (yes, even though CC itself is constantly updated) and do not contain loads of newer Pantone colors. And the only way to get these colors is to login to Pantone.com to access them, which, again to my understanding, requires a recent color book purchase.
But, more pertinent to what I was saying: the color books in Creative Cloud are outdated (yes, even though CC itself is constantly updated) and do not contain loads of newer Pantone colors. And the only way to get these colors is to login to Pantone.com to access them, which, again to my understanding, requires a recent color book purchase.
You can always work with either the default Pantone colors in your Adobe apps or update the Pantone color libraries and use the latest color definitions of your physical color guides. To get an updated library, you can use the app Pantone Color Manager. Once you register your color guides, you'll have access to download the new color libraries that you can import to your Adobe apps.
If you think that's overkill or don't own Pantone color guides, you can also simply define a solid color by name, e.g. "Pantone 2296 C", give it a color that matches for you and that's it. Your printer will know what color to use, exactly the same, like you'd import a definition update by Pantone.
If you think that's overkill or don't own Pantone color guides, you can also simply define a solid color by name, e.g. "Pantone 2296 C", give it a color that matches for you and that's it. Your printer will know what color to use, exactly the same, like you'd import a definition update by Pantone.
Backing-up the default pantone libraries from the Presets folder inside the Illustrator folder is always a good idea, just not to risk loosing them. One can then import the Color Bridge Coated and Uncoated colors without worrying to overwrite the default palettes.
Beware, that the color palettes related to the Color Bridge Guide Set are process colors and not the spot colors of the Formula Guide Solid Coated and Solid Uncoated you might expect. That means, as long as your design is just using CMYK, you can pick a Color Bridge color and go with it, but if you wish to print real Pantone spot colors, you must either have the Pantone Solid Color palettes installed or convert the process color to a spot color. It's easier than it sounds, as you can install all available color palettes so that a manual conversion is almost never necessary.
Pantone is frequently updating its color guides and from time to time there are new color libraries available for download and installation. That means, that in general all Pantone colors of the guides do have their digital counterparts. If (annual) updates occur, some time might be passing, until an updated digital color palette is ready for download. It's really no problem to install new swatches in older Adobe apps. If your Adobe app is very old (long time before CC), you might not be able to use Lab colors for displaying the color, but that's all.
One last note: if you use spot colors in your designs and then make a conversion to process or RGB colors during PDF creation, don't expect to get color values that fits the Color Bridge values. In cases I work with spot colors, I'm always defining another best fitting process and RGB color to replace the spot color, where I can't use it. That means, you always have to handle more than one color definition for one single color and color management isn't working seamless with any kind of spot color, be it Pantone, HKS, RAL, some foil or whatever else.
Hope that answers your questions and helps a bit.
Beware, that the color palettes related to the Color Bridge Guide Set are process colors and not the spot colors of the Formula Guide Solid Coated and Solid Uncoated you might expect. That means, as long as your design is just using CMYK, you can pick a Color Bridge color and go with it, but if you wish to print real Pantone spot colors, you must either have the Pantone Solid Color palettes installed or convert the process color to a spot color. It's easier than it sounds, as you can install all available color palettes so that a manual conversion is almost never necessary.
Pantone is frequently updating its color guides and from time to time there are new color libraries available for download and installation. That means, that in general all Pantone colors of the guides do have their digital counterparts. If (annual) updates occur, some time might be passing, until an updated digital color palette is ready for download. It's really no problem to install new swatches in older Adobe apps. If your Adobe app is very old (long time before CC), you might not be able to use Lab colors for displaying the color, but that's all.
One last note: if you use spot colors in your designs and then make a conversion to process or RGB colors during PDF creation, don't expect to get color values that fits the Color Bridge values. In cases I work with spot colors, I'm always defining another best fitting process and RGB color to replace the spot color, where I can't use it. That means, you always have to handle more than one color definition for one single color and color management isn't working seamless with any kind of spot color, be it Pantone, HKS, RAL, some foil or whatever else.
Hope that answers your questions and helps a bit.
The short answer: Find the color in your Color Bridge Guide, set up the corresponding spot color in Illustrator 2017 CC and use it. Without the Color Bridge Guide or a Solid Color Guide, the Pantone Connect Service is the only other official way, to find a matching Solid Pantone Color on the basis of CMYK values. There are private sites offering some conversions, but in my experience, they're not the same to official values.
TL;DR; The long answer:
Some days ago unfortunately Pantone closed its free Color Finder site, where you could compare and convert every Pantone color. You could have typed your CMYK values and would have gotten a bunch of suggestions for fitting Pantone Solid colors. That would have been my first choice. The similar, but new Pantone Connect Service isn't free for conversion feature and I didn't use it so far.
That forces me to have a look on the Color Bridge Guide or into the Pantone Color Manager, where I need to find the closest matching CMYK value by more or less trial and error. First, I'd choose a look into the Guide.
In case of your sample CMYK value 15 0 71 0, it's a little silly as Pantone seems to have an error in its system, at least on my Pantone+ Guide. In the Guide, the value doesn't exist and I'd need to choose a close match like 15 0 80 0 (Pantone 388 CP) or 14 0 68 0 (Pantone 585 CP) -> a good close match. CP stands for coated (paper) and process (colors). In my Color Bridge Guide the number 2296 CP does probably have got wrong values 17 0 54 0. In contradiction to this, the Pantone Color Manager tells me 15 0 71 0 for 2296 CP, like the values of your sample image. It can be, that there was an update or simply a bug. I'd have to call Pantone for support and further explanation.
Besides that abnormality, let's say 2296 CP is printed with 15 0 71 0 and I'd like to print the genuine Pantone color instead of the process color, I'd simply need to set up a new color in Illustrator (version is irrelevant), choose spot instead of process, name it "PANTONE 2296 C". Just for convenience, I could choose to display the colors with the corresponding values 15 0 71 0 or with 100% key color 0 0 0 100 or any other color value, as it's just for the visualization on the display to make it look right. Even the name of the spot color is not fixed. You could also choose to name it "PMS 2296 C" (Pantone Matching System) or write it in small letters. It doesn't matter, as long as your printer chooses the right color. As there is no complete automated process for ordering the color or mixing it and fill the special color in the offset printing machine, a human being needs to understand what you want and execute it. In the Solid Guide, there is the recipe for mixing the color. For "PMS 2296 C" it would be PANTONE Green 1,54%, Pantone Trans White 89,76%, Pantone Yellow 012 8,70%. The printer can order the already mixed color "PMS 2296 C" or can mix it by himself. The result of the recipe may vary, as some more or less ingredients changes the whole mixture a bit. If the color is filled into the printing machine, the printer can choose different amount of pressure over the whole size of the sheet of paper. That makes the color appear more or less dark. To get a close matching "PMS 2296 C" in the Guide, it needs a lot of prints and a lot of experience of the printer and not to forget, motivation to control the exact matching, instead of just being lazy and not moving the knobs. So far so good? No, the printer has another reference Guide and different measuring tools, compared to you or another printer. As a result, even Pantone colors are varying a lot. Is it worth using them? Yes, I think, it is worth using them, but the costs are often too high for an average client.
Think more of a definition, than of a color. What is important to know is, that a spot color is always on a separate color channel. If you print CMYK + "Pantone 2296 C" you'd get 5 formes or plates. The 5th plate will print your extra (spot) color. Again, if you only consider the plate, it doesn't matter which color will be printed it's just a monochrome rasterized image that can have more or less density parts to give you no 5th color or any coverage until a full coverage. And it mixes up with your other 4 colors, if it's printed one over another.
To get back to Illustrator. Just define the color, name it so that a human being understands you, what color you need, apply it on your graphics, create a PDF with the color profile that fits your paper and printer recommendation. Finally control, what's inside your color channels in Acrobat Pro's Print Tool for Separation. There you'll see all of your color channels and you can move the cursor over any color, to see with how many percentage from 0 to 100% each part of the design is covered. Then there is a value for colors in total that sums up every color. It mainly depends on your paper, how much coverage is valid. Some printers don't allow more than 300% in total. A maximum should be 320% to 330% for coated paper (the C in the color name).
If you've got further questions, please give as much details as possible where exactly you're struggling.
TL;DR; The long answer:
Some days ago unfortunately Pantone closed its free Color Finder site, where you could compare and convert every Pantone color. You could have typed your CMYK values and would have gotten a bunch of suggestions for fitting Pantone Solid colors. That would have been my first choice. The similar, but new Pantone Connect Service isn't free for conversion feature and I didn't use it so far.
That forces me to have a look on the Color Bridge Guide or into the Pantone Color Manager, where I need to find the closest matching CMYK value by more or less trial and error. First, I'd choose a look into the Guide.
In case of your sample CMYK value 15 0 71 0, it's a little silly as Pantone seems to have an error in its system, at least on my Pantone+ Guide. In the Guide, the value doesn't exist and I'd need to choose a close match like 15 0 80 0 (Pantone 388 CP) or 14 0 68 0 (Pantone 585 CP) -> a good close match. CP stands for coated (paper) and process (colors). In my Color Bridge Guide the number 2296 CP does probably have got wrong values 17 0 54 0. In contradiction to this, the Pantone Color Manager tells me 15 0 71 0 for 2296 CP, like the values of your sample image. It can be, that there was an update or simply a bug. I'd have to call Pantone for support and further explanation.
Besides that abnormality, let's say 2296 CP is printed with 15 0 71 0 and I'd like to print the genuine Pantone color instead of the process color, I'd simply need to set up a new color in Illustrator (version is irrelevant), choose spot instead of process, name it "PANTONE 2296 C". Just for convenience, I could choose to display the colors with the corresponding values 15 0 71 0 or with 100% key color 0 0 0 100 or any other color value, as it's just for the visualization on the display to make it look right. Even the name of the spot color is not fixed. You could also choose to name it "PMS 2296 C" (Pantone Matching System) or write it in small letters. It doesn't matter, as long as your printer chooses the right color. As there is no complete automated process for ordering the color or mixing it and fill the special color in the offset printing machine, a human being needs to understand what you want and execute it. In the Solid Guide, there is the recipe for mixing the color. For "PMS 2296 C" it would be PANTONE Green 1,54%, Pantone Trans White 89,76%, Pantone Yellow 012 8,70%. The printer can order the already mixed color "PMS 2296 C" or can mix it by himself. The result of the recipe may vary, as some more or less ingredients changes the whole mixture a bit. If the color is filled into the printing machine, the printer can choose different amount of pressure over the whole size of the sheet of paper. That makes the color appear more or less dark. To get a close matching "PMS 2296 C" in the Guide, it needs a lot of prints and a lot of experience of the printer and not to forget, motivation to control the exact matching, instead of just being lazy and not moving the knobs. So far so good? No, the printer has another reference Guide and different measuring tools, compared to you or another printer. As a result, even Pantone colors are varying a lot. Is it worth using them? Yes, I think, it is worth using them, but the costs are often too high for an average client.
Think more of a definition, than of a color. What is important to know is, that a spot color is always on a separate color channel. If you print CMYK + "Pantone 2296 C" you'd get 5 formes or plates. The 5th plate will print your extra (spot) color. Again, if you only consider the plate, it doesn't matter which color will be printed it's just a monochrome rasterized image that can have more or less density parts to give you no 5th color or any coverage until a full coverage. And it mixes up with your other 4 colors, if it's printed one over another.
To get back to Illustrator. Just define the color, name it so that a human being understands you, what color you need, apply it on your graphics, create a PDF with the color profile that fits your paper and printer recommendation. Finally control, what's inside your color channels in Acrobat Pro's Print Tool for Separation. There you'll see all of your color channels and you can move the cursor over any color, to see with how many percentage from 0 to 100% each part of the design is covered. Then there is a value for colors in total that sums up every color. It mainly depends on your paper, how much coverage is valid. Some printers don't allow more than 300% in total. A maximum should be 320% to 330% for coated paper (the C in the color name).
If you've got further questions, please give as much details as possible where exactly you're struggling.
#organicCPU i really appreciate your help, dont take me wrong, but let me ask...
"When owning the Color Bridge, there is a scale that has the Pantone colors and the equivalent CMYK values. So one can say that a Pantone scale there is included correct?
Isnt that like having a Pantone Spot colour scale?
"When owning the Color Bridge, there is a scale that has the Pantone colors and the equivalent CMYK values. So one can say that a Pantone scale there is included correct?
Isnt that like having a Pantone Spot colour scale?
Yes, you're right. The Pantone Color Bridge Uncoated and Coated guides will give you a CMYK and a spot color scale in a single guide.
The only differences are, that the dedicated Spot Color Formula Guides Solid Uncoated and Coated will show you the spot color on a larger printed area to get a better impression of each color. Then those are formula guides, especially for the need of offset printers and color suppliers that are going to mix the Pantone color from the base color pigments. They're recipe guides including exact percentage data of any color component in use. For example, Pantone 2296 C consists of PANTONE Yellow 012 8,70% and PANTONE Green 1,54% and PANTONE Trans. Wt. 89,76%. If you can live without that info and if you are satisfied with just a small sized color sample, only get the Color Bridges.
The Metallic Coated and Uncoated, as well as the Pastels & Neon guides are nice to have, too. The CMYK guides do include more color nuances as the Color Bridge Guides. For the solely purpose of getting a good idea of a chosen CMYK value, the DCS Color Scale Books might be a cheaper and even more in depth source than the Pantone CMYK guides.
The only differences are, that the dedicated Spot Color Formula Guides Solid Uncoated and Coated will show you the spot color on a larger printed area to get a better impression of each color. Then those are formula guides, especially for the need of offset printers and color suppliers that are going to mix the Pantone color from the base color pigments. They're recipe guides including exact percentage data of any color component in use. For example, Pantone 2296 C consists of PANTONE Yellow 012 8,70% and PANTONE Green 1,54% and PANTONE Trans. Wt. 89,76%. If you can live without that info and if you are satisfied with just a small sized color sample, only get the Color Bridges.
The Metallic Coated and Uncoated, as well as the Pastels & Neon guides are nice to have, too. The CMYK guides do include more color nuances as the Color Bridge Guides. For the solely purpose of getting a good idea of a chosen CMYK value, the DCS Color Scale Books might be a cheaper and even more in depth source than the Pantone CMYK guides.
Does a designer really care about the recipe guides and the percentages used to make the colours?
No, most designers don't care about color pigments unless the color doesn't fit their expectations
The only real reason for a Pantone coated or uncoated swatch book is if you are printing with those colours. Generally they are used in logos, usually a Pantone + K or sometimes Pantone + Pantone. If you are going to be converting to CMYK for print digitally of offset the converted pantones are not going to match anymore. Some colours you can get close to matching with CMYK, but many you will not be able to match and get the same "punch" of a pantone colour.
Adobe is discontinuing the pantone swatches in Adobe CC come March
Pantone Color Libraries Are Leaving the Adobe Apps | CreativePro Network
The process and cost of accessing Pantone spot colors in Creative Cloud applications is changing.
creativepro.com
Speculation is Pantone is going to release some sort of subscription model to access the pantone colours. I have a hard time imagining Indesign and Illustrator without the Pantone swatches and libraries, will take some adjustment for sure and work arounds as pantones are still regularly used in print shops.
I wonder how long that will last though, have heard rumours that Pantone is going to a subscription model which is why Adobe is getting rid of Pantones. If that is the case it is probably safe to say Serif is going to remove it as well from the Affinity apps.
Buy if you need it. If you use Pantone colors in your designs, it's the only way to see how it will appear printed on exact type of paper.
Are you printing your work with pantones at a print shop? If so having the swatch book helps as you can know what to expect when you select a pantone. If you are printing CMYK I would not bother as few digital presses match well to pantones and even then it usually takes tweaking to get it there, most will not do it unless you pay for them to calibrate and attempt to get close to the pantone colour of your choice.