Color codes explained

Do you have standard brand colors that are a mish-mash of meaningless numbers? Is there an obscure name tied to the approved shades? As printers and designers ask for your spot colors, PMS, Pantone, web-safe, etc. colors, you might feel a little lost. Here’s a quick breakdown of what they are, and how each is used:

PANTONE (also called PMS or spot color):

The Pantone color Matching System (PMS) is a color reproduction system that enables manufacturers in different locations to match colors (nearly) perfectly. Ink isn’t mixing in the presses to create your tone, but rather the exact shade you want is manufactured and used as its very own spot color of ink. It should look the same no matter where or when it prints.

RGB 0/0/0 :

Every color available in an RGB palette is derived from a mixture of red, green and blue. Computer monitors display in this color space, and conventional photography uses it as well.

CMYK 0/0/0/0 :
Printing uses it’s own color space, and can have a different output than what you see on your screen for that reason. In print, cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks are mixed to form the resulting shades. Looking at a proof on a screen will look different than what you see in print so always review the printers proof before giving your stamp of approval.

Hexadecimal #000000 (also called web-safe):
With a primary use in html code, hex colors are a translation of RGB that is used for web design.
 

With over 16 million shades available in RGB alone, it’s a bit of a surprise to find colors that just don’t have an equivalent when switching to other color spaces. For that reason, design elements like your logo are made in CMYK - the color in which they will eventually print. But before anything is finalized, colors are cross referenced with their equivalent in other color spaces. If a close match isn’t found, your colors should probably be tweaked to ensure continuity from print to web and everywhere in between.