Wanted - Pantone Color Bridge

[Prosperi-Tees]

Anyone have one they are replacing or just dont use anymore? Let me know.

[Dottonedan]

What is a Pantone color (bridge)?

You mean a book or chart?

[blue moon]

huh, the same Pantone book you use Dan!
for anybody wondering, it is a pantone book that has the CMYK swatch next to the spot color showing the closest aproximation that can be achieved with 4CP.

I had to fork out about $100 to get it. 'could not find a used one as they are a rather rare breed. Good luck!

pierre

[ZooCity]

I never buy a used pantone fan book.  We beat the color out of them quickly enough. 

Go new, but be warned, Pantone has apparently devoted a lot of time in recent years to making color books specially designed to piss off printers and delight the purely digital designers.  The colors are no longer in numerical order and the stock is text weight now.

BTW, how does the color bridge work exactly?  Does it specify a color profile or what?  I know exactly squat about cmyk but I imagine if you aren't color calibrated from file to monitor to printer to book you bump into problems. 

[Dottonedan]

No profiles.  Just the pms color on one side...and the printed cmyk equivalent on the other side. CMYK is always much more dull.  That is, If Pierre's correct.


My fan book says it's called a PANTONE Solid to Process Guide but my cover is torn off so it could have been on that cover.

I know exactly squat about cmyk but I imagine if you aren't color calibrated from file to monitor to printer to book you bump into problems.

Not really. Toss a dart and you'll hit the color eventually.  All of the color calibrations and gadgets are a fancy way of selling more stuff. Those who can afford to purchase that stuff and later put it on a shelf were already doing the big orders with 20 automatics and three shifts. Even then with all of the money to buy all that stuff, it only improves a good printer and separators print by say 5-7%.  The question is, is all of that effort (worth) that extra improvement?  I say no. If you are already that good of a printer that you can afford that stuff, then your customers are not going to increase orders with you when you do go through all that.

Not only do you have to purchase that stuff but you also then have to invest the time into learning how to do it and calibrating on a regular basis for an end product that has a flawed process filled with many many variables anyways.  Eliminate all the variables you can and keep consistent by documentation when something works and you will be fine.

[Screened Gear]

The pantone bridge is nothing more than pantone color on the left and what that pantone will look like on coated "paper" stock on the right if out putted in CMYK and not converted in your software. That is if you print on a offset rip out of current (or current software for when the Pantone book came out) One reason to keep up on new books is the changes they make in the software (like Photoshop and illustrator or even the rip software) the translation from Pantone color to CMYK makeup can change from the older versions to the new version. Not many change but I have seen some. They always say to keep up on them because of the sun fading or the ink being changed by the paper stock. I have compared old ones to new ones and the color is very close. When printing on offset presses you should always translate the colors from pantones to CMYK before sending to print. This way you control the translation. If you leave it up the the printer they may translate to a new version or their rip may mess it up altogether.

Now the truth about the Pantone books is they are not made for us (screen printers). They are made for paper stock and like everything else there is a ton of variables that play into it. (mainly the pressman they can miss a color by 10 percent and say its your fault) If your trying to color match perfectly it is impossible and your wasting your time. For one your comparing flat coated stock(pantone book) to unprinted ink or printed ink with a different texture or finish.

Pantone was created so people could communicate color from one location to another (spec colors to be printed). If you don't have a pantone book then you have no idea what 485c is. If you have a pantone book you can make sure 485c looks like 485c.

[Dottonedan]

The pantone bridge is nothing more than pantone color on the left and what that pantone will look like on coated "paper" stock on the right if out putted in CMYK and not converted in your software. That is if you print on a offset rip out of current (or current software for when the Pantone book came out) One reason to keep up on new books is the changes they make in the software (like Photoshop and illustrator or even the rip software) the translation from Pantone color to CMYK makeup can change from the older versions to the new version. Not many change but I have seen some. They always say to keep up on them because of the sun fading or the ink being changed by the paper stock. I have compared old ones to new ones and the color is very close. When printing on offset presses you should always translate the colors from pantones to CMYK before sending to print. This way you control the translation. If you leave it up the the printer they may translate to a new version or their rip may mess it up altogether.

Now the truth about the Pantone books is they are not made for us (screen printers). They are made for paper stock and like everything else there is a ton of variables that play into it. (mainly the pressman they can miss a color by 10 percent and say its your fault) If your trying to color match perfectly it is impossible and your wasting your time. For one your comparing flat coated stock(pantone book) to unprinted ink or printed ink with a different texture or finish.

Pantone was created so people could communicate color from one location to another (spec colors to be printed). If you don't have a pantone book then you have no idea what 485c is. If you have a pantone book you can make sure 485c looks like 485c.

Great reply.   I'd also add that yes, it's best to convert to CMYK on your end (so you control the file) before it gets to the printer but ALSO, (so you are aware of the differences in color results from what you created it in. An RGB file looks bright and when converted to CMYK, it's more dull...and if you don't know your way around the color preferences, (e.g.) dot gain, undercolor removal, grey component replacement, Black generation, etc. don't change them.


On the flip side, if your RGB file is bright...and you convert to CMYK before it goes to the printer, (those color preferences you have) will be set in stone in the conversation. Whats taken out can't be put back in so, thats something to think about.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I need one A) to match colors that contract customers spec and B) when I'm selling business cards, banners etc etc to verify the color and adjust if necessary.

[tonypep]

Interestingly enough Pantone started out as a printing company. A part time employee began to systemize and organize their inks and pigments and later bought the company which eventually morphed into Pantone.
Now you know!

[IntegrityShirts]

Just buy it new:
http://www.amazon.com/Pantone-GG4003XR-Color-Bridge-Coated/dp/B008EXD0AC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1348836330&sr=8-4&keywords=pantone+coated+%22color+bridge%22

Invest in an Amazon Prime account, order tons of supplies throughout the year with free two day shipping or $3.99 overnight!  It is a life saver.

[Gilligan]

I do dig the Prime account.

Also no minimums to get the free shipping.  That really helps as I often bought other junk to hit the $25 free shipping mark.  I just ordered 1000 plastic gloves for under $13 bucks free two day shipping, didn't even hesitate.

[ZooCity]

Interestingly enough Pantone started out as a printing company. A part time employee began to systemize and organize their inks and pigments and later bought the company which eventually morphed into Pantone.
Now you know!

...and knowing is half the battle. 

[Prosperi-Tees]

Boy there are so many different ones. If someone has a chance to check out a color to see if its in your book and then give me the part# of the book.. Im looking for 7499C

[ZooCity]

That would be the Solid Coated book.  C for Coated. 

We use Solid Coated and Solid Uncoated (U) and I believe they come in a two book set.

The latest edition is called Pantone Plus.