Ink matching

[rmonks]

I have never had to mix special colors for a job, but I have a job coming up that will probably require it. I was sent the file which is showing the colors as cmyk. Can I figure a pantone color from the cmyk info in the file.?
The file came to me as EPS, I have attached a PNG file

[TCT]

Here is a converter:

http://www.ginifab.com/feeds/pms/cmyk_to_pantone.php

[IntegrityShirts]

If you have photoshop, the color picker can be linked to a pantone swatchbook of your choosing. You can eyedrop each color and it will pick the closest pantone match and give you the number.

[Gilligan]

In Illy you can also "Edit Colors" "Recolor with preset" to an X color job and then you tell it to choose from the pantone book and it will grab the closest matches.

I'm gonna take a look at that site because it sounds like it might be easier/faster depending on situation.

[Gilligan]

Hmm, just went to the site and was questioning it's abilities.

Whipped out my swatch book and put in the CMYK values for 7690C just as a random test and didn't get 7690.

Now that I think about it... let me test Illustrators ability with same values...

Well, that ish is WAY off as well... came up with 690, not even close.

Forget my method too!

[mimosatexas]

what integrity linked is the quickest and easiest way.  I always show the book to the client when possible though, since colors on a screen are always different looking.  Sometimes a client will even supply a pantone code, having converted something they saw digitally using a website or the above method, but when they see it in the book it looks entirely different.

[ebscreen]

Swatch book is the only way. I can count on one hand, maybe two, the number of clients we have that own Pantone books.

[Frog]

Yes, always, whenever possible, have the custy make the decision on the "closest" match.
Many process colors do not have a very close match, and it could come back to bite you. Have them see what you can mix, and reduce surprises.

[mimosatexas]

I prefer having clients pick colors off previously printed shirts honestly, as those colors are the actual colors, not a close approximation of a color on a piece of paper in a book, or even less accurate color on a monitor.