- 1,341 PLUS SERIES Solid Color choices
- 2,058 Goe solid colors
- Goe color selection and palette building tools
- sRGB and HTML values provided for solid colors
- 2,868 CMYK color choices, with screen tint percentages
I bought this set to replace my aging set from the late ''90s. The case is nice and stiff. If you keep them in the case they won''t change color as quick under florescent lights. Pantone recommends you change the books annually, but I''ve a set from the early ''80s and 95% of the colors still match the new guides. Certain pigments due fade over time. If you leave them in the sun, on a hot computer, in the car, or under the energy saving lights they''ll change color. (Even if the lights are color balanced.)
The names of the different guides has changed over the years so now they call the "Spot to Process" guides "Color Bridge." If you''re using an older application it might not be intuitive. The CMYK books with this set have the new naming convention and numbering sequence as one of the other reviewers stated, so the older DS color codes will not match them.
You''ll want to make sure the print shop you''re going to use has these guides on hand. There are a lot of new colors in the solid guides that are not included in the original solid color sets.("Plus") Your printer will need access to be able to get the ink mixtures for the new inks and for optical site matching and color density.
If you''re new to designing, you''ll need to make sure you indicate which matching system you''re referring to, whether it be Solid, CMYK, Pantone Process, or Goe color. All have different coding sequences. If you''re looking at the price tag on these, the Goe colors are newer so a lot of shops might not be using them yet... they are cool though. The other CMYK swatch books really won''t matter so much if you''re familiar with mixing CMYK colors. You might want to look into getting the Color Bridge set by itself and save a little scratch since it will show the solid spot color with the process conversion next to it if you don''t need every color in the rainbow to match.
If you use the Adobe Creative Suite line of products, you''ll need to visit Pantone''s site to download the Goe Color Palettes as well as the Pantone Plus Palettes since neither were included in CS5 at the time of this review. I would post a link, but I''m sure it would be removed. Once they''re installed they will show up under the swatches menu.
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The new guides look good and will come in handy. It''s good to see the swatches on coated and uncoated stock. The addition of Bridge on uncoated stock is a necessary tool, as inks change appearance between coated and uncoated stock. The New GEO guides has a good color range, check with your ink vendor or local print shop for availability before specifying a color for print. You need to know it''s going to be available.
The digital version of the color libraries have not been added to the design software (at this time (Sept 2010)), to spec one of the GEO colors, a similar spot color would be chosen, and clear instructions need to be provided in order to make sure the wrong color is not used.
The CMYK libraries are completely new color formulas. They do not match the previous set of CMYK swatches and DO NOT invalidate the previously booked color swatches, it expands the range. So hold on to that older set of process swatches, they will come in handy.
The solid set that was included on matte paper was left out. For the most part, I have no complaints here. In reality, matte paper is not used often in the print shop I work in. It''s more expensive, subject to availability, and the ink can take longer to dry. My reason for wanting to hold on to the matte samples, is to have a printed sample to show to the customer. Most of the time when someone tells me they want a matte paper, they mean an uncoated stock. Matte paper has a dull coating, with the dull coating, comes a light shine (not high glossy shine). A true 100# matte stock feels thinner, compared to a 100# uncoated stock. So why are people getting matte and uncoated paper confused?
Features: The process swatches have CMYK color bars above the formulas, making it easier to define the color break down for the color. Three features were taken out the solid libraries. The four dots that suggest a color converts to CMYK fairly well. So that a company that has a specific PMS solid color can spec out a CMYK formula and get close to the same color. The three circles that suggest a color converts to RGB faily well, for the same reason, getting the company colors to close to the print collateral on the internet. The last feature to be taken out was the parts list. Parts have been replaced strictly by percentages. Parts, percentages, same thing, when it comes right down to it. Some people who mix ink see parts better than percentages when mixing small quantities. PMS 187: 12 parts warm red, 4 parts rub. red and 1 part black (percentages 70.6, 23.5 and 5.9) If mixing a pound, or half a pound, each part could be an ounce or half ounce. The total mix would be an ounce over a pound or half ounce over half a pound. Removing the parts breakdown, removes the parts to ounces comparison reference. Print shops are going to be holding on to the books that give a parts breakdown. You can''t just generate a list that says 5.9% is one ounce, PMS 1767 is 1 part 032 red and 15 parts transparent white, the percentage break down on the red is 6.2%.
The color swatches are a designer''s friend, don''t design without them. I think the digital versions of the color books should have been updated the same time the printed samples were released. Because there are going to be designer and print shops holding on to the older sets, I think this should have been marketed as a companion to the previous versions of the Pantone Essentials sets.
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The paper stock is SO FLIMSY compared to previous years. Big disappointment. Totally not worth the price. I''m afraid to even look for a color myself, never mind handing it over to a client. This will get torn and ruined so fast.
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Always great to get new "toys" for my design work ... and figured it was about time to get a new set of pantone books!
Pleased as punch!
