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In fact, every PMS number I´ve hunted is proudly displayed on my wall just waiting to be referenced.
One caveat: If you change any calibration settings in your RIP software, you must discard every previous color chart. So, it´s a good idea to be very happy and content with your color look-up table before you begin.
I use the above process when matching a specific PMS color, but only when needed not ahead of time. To save time, I do print out big families of colors. I´ll print reds, blues, dark blues, teals, yellows, burgundies, oranges, greens, purples and warm or cool grays.
So when I get a PMS mission, I first check to see if I´ve matched it before. Then I go to my printed chart and find the closest match, as well as check my color family charts for anything closer. If I still don´t have an exact match, then I start with the closest match and do more testing.
There are few pleasures as sweet as needing again a color you just matched yesterday.
Stephen Augustine owns and operates Eye Candy Graphics, a graphic design and digital printing shop in Denver. DG
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Xpress® or Adobe Illustrator® to print out every PMS color, or a program written to automate the process. I didn't know of any, and I figured, "How long could it take?" Ayyy, yai, yai...
If you´re like me, you´ll be real interested in finding that easy method. Otherwise, it´s copy a box, fill in PMS color, type that number underneath, verify that your label matches the color, and on to the next one.
Once created, I like to print out a chart on poly (my favorite media), gloss and matte papers, vinyl and backlit media. Believe me, they will all look different.
Next, I create a set of sub-charts exploring the shades in between. Yes, you will usually be matching a PMS color, but what Illustrator tells you is PMS 285 usually isn´t. So, to match that color, I start
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with 20 cute little boxes chock full of PMS 285 and tweak each one slightly.
First, I convert all to process color so I can see how it it´s being built. For example, it´s 91-percent cyan and 43-percent magenta. Then I just slightly change that formula, i.e., 89-percent cyan and 42-percent magenta. To match PMS colors, I´ve adjusted individual inks by as much as 13 percent, so you might not nail it on your first try.
In this case, take the closest match and start with 20 boxes of that, changing each one slightly. But, if your closest match is still purple, then it would be silly to use more magenta on your next try.
Thinking of it as a big safari makes it a little more exciting, and after tracking down and nailing PMS 285, you get to hang it on your wall.
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