Online CMYK Pantone Bridge reference?

Hi, I don’t have a CMYK Pantone colour bridge book and need one at the moment. Does anyone know any online references?

I need these colours matched to CMYK:

PMS 201 U
PMS 201 C
Reflex Blue U
Reflex Blue C

Thanks for your help!

Have you googled?

1 Like

Yes I have googled. I’m seeing no specific Pantone->CMYK Bridge tools online. Hence why I’m asking here.

try this: https://www.pantone.com/color-finder#/pick?pantoneBook=pantoneSolidCoatedV3M2

2 Likes
3 Likes

Thanks! This is great.

If you plan to print a CMYK match for Reflex, you may find yourself in a bit a pickle.
A purplish pickle at that.

2 Likes

Haha, I was thinking of changing that blue. Now you’ve given me a good reason to!

I kinda need to point out that the C or U designation refers to the paper the ink is applied to. Pantone inks are made with one formula and will look different on coated and uncoated paper. That is what the swatch deck is showing you.

If you ever really mean to match an Uncoated swatch, say so directly. Otherwise, you might end up with an inadvertent result. If you apply an uncoated CMYK number set and print it on coated paper…

I have clients that use ALL the books as different color swatches, often requiring a chart match on the Uncoated colors as most of my wide format vendors are calibrated to coated, whether or not the media is matte or gloss.

:wink:

1 Like

Thanks @PrintDriver for the tips. Yes I would specify whether I’m matching C or U.

In this case, though I’m confused. I’m delivering a brand guideline and logo package, and I can’t control whether my clients print future materials on coated or uncoated, so how do I designate a CMYK value?
:roll_eyes:

CMYK values are always a risk. If you are using a bridge, you may not even want the CMYK values for your pantone number, as they may not particularly match the swatch deck chip. You might want the values for some other number, for which you need a physical book, not an online viewing portal.

Also understand that there is a lot of digital print out there. The CMYK values in the Pantone books refer to an approximation of what the color will look like on a conventional press printed with industry standard CMYK inks. A lot of digital machines have extended gamut inks, especially in the wide format print market. That does NOT mean you go out and buy the Pantone extended gamut books. Those don’t work either and you certainly don’t want to apply that color library to your print files. With digital, unless the printer says otherwise, Pantone Coated is the way to go for critical color (in the US. In Europe, your mileage will vary.) Or better soemtimes, LAB values.

You can only hope that whoever the client hands their brand standards to in the future is savvy enough to know how to use color for whatever print process they may be using. If they don’t lose them first. Five years down the road, the client is likely to hand a designer a wrinkly old business card and tell them to match the colors in that.

In my bridge, 201c and the CMYK values for it are a pretty darn close match, probably within 1 delta-e (7/100/68/32.) But as a for instance, those color numbers may not be what the 16’-wide vinyl printer I use has for a profile equivalent for 201c. A totally off color may come out if using the CMYK numbers as opposed to the actual Pantone for which the machine is calibrated. And a totally different color for those CMYK values may come out yet again if I change the vinyl media for a canvas, whereas the Pantone number will produce a profiled result on both media that is similar.

Reflex blue on the other hand is not matchable in CMYK. It isn’t even matchable in CMYK-O-G-V.

Lately we’ve had quite the trend in getting Pantone Textile numbers for print design. I don’t know if someone had a sale on Textile Pantone books but guess what? I don’t have one, nor will 90% of print shops out there. You may as well bring in a Ben Moore paint swatch from the hardware store. Buying a dye lot of Pantone colored fabric is really expensive. If you are just doing dye sub work, you use the Pantone Coated colors (sometimes the uncoated colors in Europe.) The Pantone Plastic book is even worse. Not only is it a hugely expensive set ($8000 for just the base chip set or $3000 for the book), the colors are not available unless you buy a full dye lot. That might be a literal ton of plastic product or several palettes of sheet goods. There is no place to go out and pull a single sheet of PQ-xx-xxxx from the shelf unless someone has an overun of a color you just happen to want in the thickness and polymer type that you need.

1 Like

VERY INFORMATIVE. Thank you! :pray:

Hi Jill, I have a bridge book but its only for coated and can give you those break downs if you still need them.

Hi rickmann08,
Wow is very helpful of you. I only really need it for the primary colour, 201C.
Thanks :blush:

Not a problem! I just happen to have my book right here!

201C is
c= 0%
m= 100%
y= 63%
k= 29%

Hope this helps and you are very welcome :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like