The image below illustrates what happens to the colours if you pick the same Pantone number from the same Pantone libraries.
Everyone knows it’s difficult to match a Pantone colour using a CMYK build, but sometimes you have no choice. So what I recommend is, use “Pantone solid coated” in Illustrator and “Pantone solid to process coated” in Photoshop. This way you will reference the same CMYK values in both programs.
To muddy the waters even more, in the year 2000 Pantone changed all the CMYK builds for all the Pantone libraries to reflect more current printing conditions. So if you have a book that is pre 2000, toss it away and buy a new one. If you are working in Quark 4, Illustrator 9 or Photoshop 6, your CMYK builds for a Pantone spot will be different than those of current applications.
If you are working in the older above-mentioned applications go to Pantone’s web site and download their updated colour libraries.
From Pantone’s web site:
In May of 2000, Pantone introduced new editions of the Pantone formula guide containing PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM Colors. The major changes included brighter paper stocks, a matte coated edition, and the addition of 147 new designer-inspired colors. The Pantone solid to process guide coated was also revised, with a digital CTP workflow to provide better simulations of the Pantone Colors, which are achievable equally under an analog, digital or combination workflow. As a result of these changes, the CMYK values used in the Pantone solid to process guide coated differ from earlier editions.
Subsequent to this introduction, the major software vendors have begun to introduce updates to their software. Currently, Adobe Photoshop 7, Adobe Illustrator 10, and QuarkXPress 5 contain support for the 147 new Pantone Colors, as well as the revised CMYK simulation values.
Next month, I will be reviewing an exciting new printer, the Epson 4000 and an updated RIP from BEST, the Designer Edition 3.0 for Mac/PC. This printer has just about everything you could ask for in a desktop proofer: 17” wide media handling, roll fed or sheet-fed via a 50 page cassette, 220 ml ink cartridges (that’s the same size as the 10,000’s inks cartridges), 1.9 times faster than any Epson printer and all this for under $2,300.00 CDN. Combine the 4000 with the Designer Edition 3.0 from Best Color and you have a proofing system for less than $4,500.00 that will compete with digital proofing systems costing ten times more.
