Are your Pantone Colour Guides up to date?

Any designer knows just how important it is to have the most up-to-date Pantone colours to keep designs looking fresh. Using the latest guide gives access to the most varied collection of on-trend colours and the most accurate representation of achievable colour. However, even with the best care in the world, it’s impossible to prevent colour swatches from fading from exposure to light and moisture.

Every Pantone Colour Guide is produced to the highest manufacturing standards. Each guide offers a highly regulated ink formula consistency and is printed on the most popular commercial-grade 100 lb and 80 lb text weight stocks. Not only that, but each guide is carefully monitored for any imperfections during the production process. This ensures that every guide is colour accurate, so the colours you use in your designs remain consistent right up until the end product.

Even with all these measures in place, it is still inevitable that the colours will fade over time, just like with any photo, print or book. Fading of colours happens for several reasons, including:

• Handling- smearing and removing pigment due to natural oils on fingertips
• Pages rubbing together - scratching or removing pigment
• Light exposure - fading
• Paper ageing - yellowing effects
• Ambient moisture - accelerating paper ageing

Therefore, we recommend replacing your Pantone colour guides every 12-18 months, depending on your usage and storage.

What happens if my colours are inaccurate?

Inaccurate colours can result in a lot of frustration for yourself and your team. If you or your production team are using old guides, there will likely be a lot of unnecessary re-work, time lost, miscommunication over the colour, cost in shipping approval samples and not to mention dissatisfaction for yourself and your client. Ensuring you have the most up-to-date guide is the easiest way to make sure you and your team are on the same page.

You can read more about the importance of colour standards in our recent blog here.

Does your Pantone FHI guide look like this?

You can see in this graphic just how many colours you may be missing. With the latest Pantone FHI guide you'll have all 2,625 colours, and be rest assured that they are as accurate as they can be.

Pantone are the industry leaders when it comes to colour trends. The Pantone Color Institute experts search the world for new colour influences that can be found everywhere - from the entertainment industry, travel, art, fashion and design to new technology and environmental issues. Pantone forecast upcoming colour trends to help keep your designs current with the latest guides.

If you need to update your FHI colour guide, click here and save time and frustration knowing you have the most recent range of accurate colours.

Work in graphics? Check to see if you have the latest Pantone Formula Guide here.