Omar Khalid
Pantone's physical products, such as the Pantone Plus Plastic Standard Chips Collection, are notoriously expensive. The collection, which includes 1755 colours, costs around $9000, working out to about $5.13 per chip. While some may question the high price tag, there are several reasons why Pantone's products are so costly. Firstly, Pantone owns the intellectual property of their colours and associated names, numbers, and colour data. They have also developed a highly precise colour system that ensures consistency across different applications and manufacturing locations. This level of standardization and accuracy comes at a premium, as it involves significant time, effort, and resources to produce and maintain. Additionally, Pantone inks are mixed specially by the printer, requiring a wide range of inks to be stocked or mixed, and the printing process may involve additional steps such as manual setup, colour matching, and cleaning between jobs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Color Consistency | Pantone inks are mixed specially by the printer, so the colour comes out consistent each and every time |
| Colour Matching | Pantone colours are extremely precise and can be accurately matched anywhere in the world |
| Industry Standard | Pantone has been the industry-standard colour language for 60 years |
| Intellectual Property | Pantone owns the intellectual property of the colours and their associated names, numbers, and colour data |
| Formulas and Codes | Pantone owns the formulas and codes used to reproduce colours |
| Production | It takes a substantial amount of time, effort, and resources to produce an accurate colour reference system |
| Demand | Pantone is in high demand due to its accuracy and consistency |
| Partnerships | Pantone partners with companies like Adobe and printing software makers, contributing to the overall cost |
| Quality Control | Pantone's quality control measures ensure exact matches across every batch |
| Precision | Pantone colours are precise and can be used for metallics, fluorescents, matte, and shiny colours |
| Cost of Inks | The cost of Pantone inks can vary, but the variance is typically minimal |
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What You'll Learn
Pantone's intellectual property
Pantone LLC is an American company headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, and is best known for its Pantone Matching System (PMS), a proprietary colour order system used in a variety of industries, notably graphic design, fashion design, product design, printing, and manufacturing.
The idea behind the PMS is to allow designers to "colour match" specific colours when a design enters the production stage, regardless of the equipment used to produce the colour. This system has been widely adopted by graphic designers and reproduction and printing houses. Pantone inks are measured and mixed by the printer, using licensed Pantone base inks, and consequently, the colour comes out consistent every time.
While Pantone does not own the colours per se, it does own the intellectual property of the colours and their associated names, numbers, and colour data. This includes trademark protection, which prevents direct duplication of their lists. Pantone's colour library or system of standardization is also protected by copyright and trademark law.
The company's primary products include the Pantone Guides, which consist of a large number of small cardboard or plastic sheets, printed on one side with a series of related colour swatches and then bound into a small "fan deck". The Pantone Plus Plastic Standard Chips Collection (1755 colours) costs $9000, working out to about $5.13 per chip.
In 2022, a dispute between Pantone and Adobe resulted in the removal of Pantone colour coordinates from Photoshop and Adobe's other design software, causing colours in graphic artists' digital documents to be replaced with black unless artists paid Pantone a separate $15 monthly subscription fee.
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Cost of production
Pantone's physical products, such as its books and plastic chips, are considered expensive, with prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to over $1,000. The Tech Tips video, for example, features the purchase of the Pantone Plus Plastic Standard Chips Collection, which costs $9,000 for 1755 colours, working out to about $5.13 per chip. Similarly, a set of Pantone books can cost a few hundred dollars.
The high cost of Pantone's products can be attributed to several factors related to the production process:
- Colour Consistency: Pantone is known for its colour consistency, ensuring that colours remain the same regardless of where in the world they are printed. This standardisation is valuable for maintaining brand continuity, especially for logos. Achieving this consistency requires precise colour matching, which can be a complex and resource-intensive process.
- Intellectual Property: Pantone owns the intellectual property of its colours, including their associated names, numbers, and colour data. This exclusivity means that companies may need to pay royalties or licensing fees to use Pantone colours in their products.
- Production Complexity: Producing Pantone colours can be more complex than traditional CMYK printing. While CMYK printing uses the same four base inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) for every job, Pantone colours are either pre-mixed or custom-mixed by the printer from a range of base pigments. This mixing process can increase the time and labour required for printing, as it involves additional steps for setup, colour matching, and cleaning between different colours.
- Quality Control: Pantone's quality control measures contribute to the overall cost of production. In-house experts perform rigorous checks to ensure exact colour matches across every batch, maintaining the consistency that Pantone is known for.
- Partnerships and Licensing: Pantone's ecosystem of partnerships and licensing agreements also factor into the cost of production. The company collaborates with software companies like Adobe and printing software makers to integrate its system across the creative process, which involves additional costs for licensing and APIs.
While the cost of Pantone products may seem high, many designers and companies value the assurance of accurate and consistent colours that Pantone provides. The speed to market, product colour accuracy, and supply chain cost savings achieved through Pantone's colour management system can outweigh the price tag for many users.
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Colour consistency
Pantone inks are specially mixed by the printer, ensuring that the colour comes out consistent each time. This is in contrast to CMYK colours, which are subject to slight shifts in colour. CMYK printing uses the same four base inks for every job, whereas Pantone colours are either pre-mixed or custom-mixed by the printer, often from 13 base pigments. This means that printers need to stock or mix a large number of inks, and switching between colours requires flushing and cleaning the presses, adding to the time and labour costs.
Pantone's colour system is an industry standard, and its tools ensure that colours are reproduced accurately, no matter where in the world they are printed. This is especially important for companies aiming to maintain brand continuity, as it allows them to keep their logo and branding consistent.
The value of colour consistency is highlighted by the potential consequences of colour mismatches, which can result in legal troubles or the destruction of wrongly printed material.
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Industry standard
Pantone has been the industry-standard colour language for over 60 years. Its tools ensure that colours remain consistent, no matter where in the world they are printed. Pantone inks are measured and mixed specially by the printer, using licensed Pantone base inks. This means that the colour comes out consistent every time.
Pantone does not "own" colours, but it does own the formulas and codes used to reproduce them. It owns the intellectual property of the colours and their associated names, numbers, and colour data. This is what makes Pantone products so expensive. The price is attributed to the assurance that the colour you see is the colour that will be achieved.
Pantone inks are only used for printing and are usually requested for logos to keep brand continuity. They are also used for packaging, plastics, textiles, interior design, and fashion design. Pantone inks can be more expensive than CMYK printing as each colour is either pre-mixed or custom-mixed by the printer, often from 13 base pigments. This requires the printer to stock or mix a large number of inks, which can be costly.
Pantone's proprietary technology, quality control, and ecosystem of licensing, APIs, and partnerships also contribute to the overall cost of its products.
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Quality control
Pantone's colour swatches are created with meticulous attention to detail, using standardised paper and calibrated ink recipes. The company's in-house experts play a crucial role in quality control by checking for exact matches across every batch. This ensures that a specific Pantone colour will look the same in New York as it does in Tokyo, for example.
The process of creating and maintaining this standardised colour system is complex and resource-intensive. It involves precise colour matching, dyeing, and cutting of fabric swatches, as well as the global distribution of their products. The time, effort, and resources invested in producing an accurate and reliable colour reference system are reflected in the cost of Pantone's products.
Additionally, the proprietary nature of the Pantone system influences its pricing. Pantone owns the intellectual property of its colour system, including the associated names, numbers, and colour data. This exclusivity means that companies and designers rely on Pantone's products and are willing to pay a premium to ensure colour accuracy and consistency.
The high cost of Pantone's products can be justified by the value they bring to designers and businesses. While there are alternative colour books available, Pantone's industry-standard system provides a level of precision and reliability that is challenging to replicate. For companies seeking to maintain consistent branding and avoid costly mistakes, the accuracy and reliability of Pantone's colour system can be well worth the investment.
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Frequently asked questions
Pantone plastic colours are expensive because of the time, effort and resources that go into producing an accurate colour reference system. Pantone owns the intellectual property of the colours and their associated names, numbers and colour data. Pantone colours are also mixed specially by the printer, using licensed Pantone base inks, so the colour comes out consistent each time.
Pantone plastic colours are special because they offer colour consistency. Pantone inks are measured and mixed specially by the printer, using licensed Pantone base inks, so the colour comes out consistent each time.
The benefits of using Pantone plastic colours include speed to market, product colour accuracy and supply chain cost savings. Pantone colours are also globally available, so no matter where in the world your product is manufactured, it is possible to accurately match a Pantone colour.
