Picking and choose your company and logo colors.
Once upon a time, 4-color process (or full color) was obscenely expensive. But everyone knew that color printing was more effective than black and white or grayscale. As way to add color without as much cost as full color, spot color was introduced to the world.

Spot color, PMS-Pantone Matching System® or True Match® colors, are pre-mixed inks. So instead of creating color by laying down 4 passes of the standard Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK) inks, one pass in the press of this pre-mixed ink was all that was required to add a little touch of color. Bonus, because these inks are pre-mixed in a lab the colors can be more vibrant and even florescent and metallic giving an extra punch.

And then… there was digital. Suddenly, color got a lot cheaper! Now full-color is accessible to everyone. With press runs usually reserved for extra large print orders (usually in the 10,000 and up range) digital has become the standard.

So why are designer’s still pulling out ye ole PMS swatch books when choosing logo and other corporate colors?

The obvious answer is that’s it’s simply more convenient. Unfortunately, it can also lead to a very unhappy client and here’s why:

As a mixed ink, there is no guarantee that it will reproduce accurately as a 4-color process ink. “Full color” in both the digital and press worlds are created the same way. Four different transparent inks (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) are laid down in a dot pattern on top of each other. “Spot” inks are pre-mixed and can use other pigments beyond the 4 standard colors normally used.

As an example, just try to get a PMS 021 orange to match faithfully to a 4-color print out. It’ll never happen. Even though 021 is not technically florescent, it’s close enough that 4-color printing of any stripe just can’t faithfully reproduce it. And worse, the PMS to CMYK booklet makes it look almost brown.

(As a side note, why ink jet printers can reproduce spot colors more faithfully than your average digital press is simply because many inkjet printers can also incorporate additional inks [6-8 instead of four], leading to a greater color range.)

So what’s a designer to do?
Spot colors still have their uses and and their place in the universe. Just because it’s no longer standard, does not mean that it’s automatically obsolete. And many clients still want to know what “their” PMS colors are. It adds to consistency across all of their marketing and advertising materials.

The simple solution is, don’t match the CMYK definition to the PMS color, match the PMS to the CMYK definition. Backwards to how most of us were taught in school, but it makes the most sense. The super-brights, metallics and florescents can always wait for that special occasion to be used later.

Oh, and for the record, the closest you’ll ever get to PMS 021 is: 0% Cyan, 40% Magenta, 100% Yellow, 0% Black.

Ever go into a “super store” and find yourself stymied because there are too many options?

Color can sometimes be like that. Just go to your average hardware store and watch the people in the paint department. You’ll see some walk away with nothing but a frustrated, confused expression. Others will walk away with stacks of swatches and books. While still others will purchase multiple paint samples resigned to living with odd miss-matched blotches and stripes in their rooms because they just can’t decide.

Even as professionals who regularly deal with color, I fully understand the dilemma. But, color can be understood in several different ways, and that understanding can at least narrow down the field.

Color as “Heat”

All colors can be defined as either “hot” or “cold.” The designation originated from general feeling that most people got when they viewed it. So for example, with “hot” colors we generally think of reds, oranges and yellows. When it comes to “cold” colors we tend to think of different blues.

But any color can be “hot” or “cold.” Even though blue is a natively “cold” color, there are some hues and shades that contain some yellows and reds, giving the blue a warmer feel. By that same token, a red can be “cold” for the same reason, with red or yellow tones mixed in to the hue.

Note that I haven’t labeled greens or purples as “hot” or “cold.” That’s because those colors can very easily and cleanly be either. As pigments those colors are created by mixing other colors together, so they are natively neither “hot” or “cold” but can easily be hot or cold depending on the mix.

The “Feeling” of Color

Colors are often associated with feelings and emotions. But one color can evoke opposite feelings. Green, for example, can be associated with new life and growth and illness and poison. So what is the difference?

The key to expressing feeling and emotion with color is in the context in which it is used. So when used with a leaf, a green will communicate “spring” but used in a face it will say “illness.”

Conversely, color can define the meaning/feeling of a shape as well. Take the leaf for example. The leaf shape in green will say “spring” but a leaf in red will say “fall.”

Whittling Down Your Options

Great. So now we know a few more technical things about color. How do you choose which one to pick?

1. Look at your context. What do you want to say and how do you want people to feel? Is it a winter promotion? You might want colder colors. Is it an “escape from winter” promotion? You’ll want warmer colors then.

2. Does it work with your brand? Keep in mind that your logo has to look good on top of or next to the color.

If you are in the process of creating a brand, think about in terms of your industry. Is the color you’re considering ever associated with other people, businesses or concepts within your field?

3. Do you like it? Yes, this question is a little odd. But ultimately, you should at least on a basic level, not hate the colors that you are using in your branding and marketing. So if you hate the colors that are being used, then try out different shades and hues – or even different colors – until you find something that you’d be proud to show off!

This is all just the tip of a very colorful iceberg, but at least its a place to begin. Ultimately, don’t be afraid to try color because you might be wrong, but rather have fun and play with it so that you’ll find the ones that are right!