Define your Brand Identity with Pantone PMS
The Pantone Matching System, more commonly referred to as Pantone colors or codes, are like social security numbers for each color. Why would we need something like this, you ask? Well, simply put it’s because colors fade, a color can look differently on different screens, sometimes inks are mixed manually and so shades will look different when mixed by different folks. And all of this isn’t very helpful if you want your brand to have a specific color and shade within that color. By using the PMS number, you can give your brand a solid personality and a consistent color expression on everything you do, including your branded items.
How does PMS Work?
The Pantone Matching System works by giving an identification number to a specific shade of each color. This will guarantee that the particular shade, on say your polo shirts, will exactly match the same shade on your tote bags, and the same shade on your retail packaging. This way, your audience will easily recognize your brand with a quick glimpse whenever they see your logo.
Understanding the Colors
Have you noticed how certain products tend to fall in the same color scheme? Like we talk about healthy foods with greens and many healthcare logos, which are meant to give a calming feeling, use blue? That’s because colors are associated with emotions and the right color choice can inspire a certain group of emotions and the right color choice can inspire a certain group of thoughts or feelings. This is crucial when determining your brand or campaign colors. Here’s a quick overview of some of the most widely accepted color connections:
Blue:
Positive Connotations: Honest, Calm, Trustworthy, Caring, Secure
Negative Connotations: Cold, Miserable
Red:
Positive Connotations: Dynamic, Passionate, Exciting, Energy, love
Negative Connotations: Danger, Anger
Orange:
Positive Connotations: Friendly, Sociable, Happy, Warm, Confident
Negative Connotations: Toxic, Sluggishness
Yellow:
Positive Connotations: Sunshine, Playful, Optimistic, Joy
Negative Connotations: Unstable, Irresponsible
Green:
Positive Connotations: Organic, Fresh, Health, Natural, Caring
Negative Connotations: Envy, Jealousy
Purple:
Positive Connotations: Luxury, Royalty, Spirituality, Ambition, Wealth
Negative Connotations: Moody, Funereal
Black
Positive Connotations: Sophistication, Authority, Elegant, Dramatic, Classy
Negative Connotations: Death, Evil
White:
Positive Connotations: Pure, Fresh, Goodness, Innocence, Clean
Negative Connotations: Isolation, Emptiness
Using multiple colors for your brand can be delicate. If used strategically, they can give the impression of being Bold, Positive, Playful, Multi-Channel, or Boundless. But if they’re used carelessly, they can be taken as Childish. This is why it’s important to consult the color wheel and use an experienced brand designer in choosing the colors for your brand or campaign.
If you want to provide your brand with a solid personality with a color scheme, think about which colors better match your brand's message and history behind your brand?
How to use PMS Numbers with your Brand
So how do you use color to make your brand stand out in the crowd? First, start by putting yourself in your audience’s place and ask: what do I feel when you see this logo? That’s the most important reason to understand why you should use specific colors.
Further questions you can ask yourself are:
What colors will deliver the message you want to send?
What colors will draw more effectively your target audience's attention?
How will those colors distinguish you from your competitors?
What do you want your brand to represent to consumers?
Once you’ve clearly answered these questions, you will be well on your way to choosing which colors you should use to represent your brand.
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