PMS is an acronym for Pantone Matching System, a printed
Book of standardized color swatches in fan format. In 1963, Lawrence Herbert, Pantone's founder, created this innovative system to identify and match colors. The system solved problems associated with producing accurate color matches in printing and graphic arts.
The Pantone Matching System begins with a base of 14 colors (two yellows, orange, four reds, purple, four blues, green, and black), then creates more than 1000 colors based on combination of the base in a process similar to the way paint stores mix paint.
Each color is numbered for easy reference and a color swatch and ink formula is printed in PMS guides - the fan format books we use to help you select colors for your printing projects. We keep a PMS guide to use for color matching & selection. In addition, we update our books regularly to ensure that color swatches have not changed due to fading or exposure to light.
