Pantone Colours

Pantone ColoursPantone colours, sometimes referred to as the Pantone Matching System, or PMS for short, are a standardised set of colours, which use a numbering system to uniquely identify each colour. This system enables organisations that are located geographically separately to match colours exactly. It was originally created for the graphic design industry, but is now used by a wide range of industries, typically in relation to branding.

Within the Pantone Matching System are a number of palettes, the most commonly used of which is the pantone solids palette. There are 1114 colours in the solid colour palette, each of which is identified by a three or four-digit number, followed by a letter, C (Coated), U (Uncoated) or M (Matte). 

Pantone colours are available in graphics software packages, such as those from Adobe, which include, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. They can also be converted into colours which can be used on the web in the hexadecimal number system.