Pantone colors have become an integral part of design and branding over the past 50 years. The Pantone Matching System (PMS) allows designers to use precise, standardized color reproductions across different materials and mediums. However, Pantone recently made significant changes to their color system that have huge implications for designers and brands. This article will explore the history of Pantone colors, the motivations behind the changes, and the impacts they are having on the design industry.
Brief History of Pantone Colors
Pantone Inc. was founded in New Jersey in the 1950s by brothers Lawrence and Richard Herbert. The company’s original product was printing inks, but they saw a need for a standardized color matching system that would allow accurate color reproduction across different materials and between design studios and printers.
In 1963, Pantone introduced their first color matching system, shades consisting of 10 colors. This was the beginning of the Pantone Matching System (PMS). The system was quickly adopted by graphic designers, reproducers, printers, and manufacturers.
Over the following decades, Pantone expanded their offerings to hundreds of new colors. They also introduced innovations like pastels, metallics, and fluorescents. By the 2000s, Pantone swatch books had become essential tools for designers. The PMS codes allowed for easy communication of precise colors between creatives, clients, and vendors.
Pantone colors gained further prominence in the 2000s as digital design began to dominate. Web design, product design, branding, marketing materials, packaging, and more all relied on Pantone colors for continuity across materials and formats. The colors became integral to brand identities.
Motivations Behind Pantone’s Changes
In the 2010s, Pantone began making major changes to their iconic color system. This was motivated by several factors:
- The growth of digital design – With digital design dominating over print, Pantone needed a system that would translate better onscreen.
- Rising printing costs – Printing elaborate swatch books had become cost-prohibitive.
- Sustainability – Reducing paper swatch books was seen as more sustainable.
- Declining revenue – Pantone’s ownership changed hands and the company needed a refresh.
- Changing color preferences – Vibrant neon tones were gaining popularity over earth tones.
Pantone sought to create a new system that addressed these motivations. However, the changes were controversial and disrupted industries that had relied on Pantone colors for decades.
Major Changes Made by Pantone
The main changes made by Pantone include:
Pantone+ System
In 2010, Pantone introduced the Pantone+ system. This expanded the number of colors from 10 to over 1,800. The new colors were designed to be more vivid and vibrant. Pantone+ aimed to improve digital visualization and include modern colors like neon tones.
Formula Guides
Traditionally Pantone distributed swatch books to designers. In 2014, they switched to new Formula Guides. These fan decks provided just a few samples of each color, organized by color family. The full catalog of colors was only available digitally. This shift saved printing costs.
Digital Apps
Pantone developed mobile apps so designers could access all Pantone colors digitally on smartphones and tablets. This allowed access to the entire catalog of colors anywhere.
myPantone Platform
In 2015, Pantone launched myPantone, a web platform that allows designers to create and share custom digital color palettes. This facilitated use of Pantone colors in digital design.
Drop “Plus” From Name
In 2016, Pantone dropped the “+” from “Pantone+” and made it the new default Pantone Matching System. The original PMS colors were phased out. All new branding and products had to shift to the new colors.
Impacts on Graphic Design and Branding
Pantone’s changes profoundly impacted graphic designers and brand managers. Some of the notable impacts include:
Loss of Precise Color Continuity
The discontinuation of the original PMS colors meant brands lost continuity of exact colors. New branding and products had to shift to similar but not identical Pantone+ colors. This risked altering recognizable brand colors.
Costs of Rebranding
Brands with PMS colors in their logos, packaging, collateral had to spend huge sums redesigning and reprinting materials to align with new Pantone+ colors. This caused major financial burdens.
Decreased Tangibility
The transition away from physical swatch books to digital colors meant designers lost the tactile experience of flipping through and feeling actual color samples.
Learning New System
Designers had to take time to learn the new Pantone+ system and its altered color palettes and codes. This disrupted established design workflows.
Advantages for Digital Design
The new web-based platform and digital tools allowed much easier integration of Pantone colors into digital design projects. This brought benefits once designers adapted.
| Impact | Description |
|---|---|
| Loss of precise color continuity | Brands lost continuity of exact colors with shift from original PMS to new Pantone+ system |
| Costs of rebranding | Brands had to spend significant amounts redesigning materials to align with new Pantone+ colors |
| Decreased tangibility | Designers lost tactile experience of physical swatch books with shift to digital colors |
| Learning new system | Designers had to learn the new Pantone+ system, altering established workflows |
| Advantages for digital design | New digital platform and tools allowed easier integration of Pantone colors into digital projects |
Pantone’s Long-Term Goals
The changes Pantone made to their iconic coloring system stem from some clear long-term business goals:
- Become essential to digital design – The expanded color palettes and new digital ecosystem aim to make Pantone vital to web, app, product, and graphic design.
- Support virtual and augmented reality – Pantone wants to provide the color standard as virtual reality expands.
- Increase recurring subscription revenue – The digital platform and apps encourage subscription payments over one-time swatch book purchases.
- Attract new demographic – Vibrant new tones and digital-centric offerings aim to attract younger designers.
- Facilitate color forecasting – The digital capabilities allow Pantone to analyze trends and sell color forecast subscriptions.
If executed properly, these goals can position Pantone as an indispensable color system for the future of design across all mediums.
Conclusion
Pantone colors have become deeply ingrained in design and branding over the past 50 years. However, Pantone made dramatic recent changes to their Matching System, including overhauling the color catalog and shifting toward digital-centric offerings.
This disrupted industries reliant on precise Pantone colors but also opened new opportunities for digital design. Brands faced challenges redesigning for new Pantone+ colors but gained advantages in online branding. Designers lost their tactile swatch books but gained new digital capabilities.
Looking ahead, Pantone is positioning itself to be essential to the future of design in the digital age. Their iconography and influence likely ensure they will remain the premier color system even amidst the major ongoing changes. Designers and brands will ultimately adapt and may benefit from Pantone’s evolution, but the transition period illustrates the risks of such a monumental shift, even from an established industry leader.