Anyone new to packaging will tell you there are a LOT of acronyms. So many, that we’ve even created a full glossary of packaging terms to help our customers make sense of the jargon.
Today, we’re adding a few new acronyms to your list – CMYK, PMS and RGB. Each of these terms is used to describe a type of colour printing.
Here’s how each of them work and the two that you should be considering for printing your packaging.
What are CMYK colours?
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key.
The colour for Key is typically Black. It uses a K instead of B to avoid confusion with Blue in RGB. But, we’ll get to that later.
These four inks are mixed in different ratios to create the colours used in your packaging design.
CMYK colours are known as process colours. This means they are mixed during the printing process to create unique single colours. This is also known as 4-colour printing.
CMYK colours are commonly used in home and office printers, as well as industrial digital printers – like the one we use at Echo Boxes Online.
What are PMS colours?
PMS stands for Pantone Matching System.
These are a set of premixed colours that are ideal for providing consistent and accurate results when printed.
PMS colours are known as spot colours. This means they are mixed before printing and come as standard – producing the exact same colour, no matter where they are used around the world.
At Echo Cartons, we use PMS U colours for flexographic printing. The U stands for Uncoated – which is referring to uncoated board and kraft paper; the materials that we print on.
We carry a wide range of stock colours most of the time. If you require a custom colour, we can order special inks. Just be aware that this adds time to your order.
What are RGB colours?
RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue.
These colours are used exclusively for digital design – such as websites, social posts, graphic designs, TV advertising, mobile apps and more.
You might be familiar with HEX codes; which are a set of 6 numbers and letters that correspond with unique RGB colours.
While it’s technically possible to print RGB colours, they were designed for screens. So, they don’t come out printed like you expect. Working in CMYK colours will give you a truer representation of your final printed design.
We recommend checking your design platform to ensure your colour mode is set to a print-ready format. For example, on Adobe Illustrator you can check by heading to File > Document Colour Mode > CMYK.
CMYK vs PMS: The Pros & Cons
When it comes to packaging, you’re really choosing between CMYK and PMS colours. In general, the choice is simple. You’ll use CMYK for digital printing and PMS for flexographic printing.
But, there are also a few pros and cons that come with each of these colour types. Here are 4 factors that we believe are most important, and should help you decide whether digital or flexographic printing is ideal for your packaging.
PMS colours work best on full-colour designs
PMS colours are highly effective at getting a solid coat of colour printed in one go. If your box design is using full-panels of colour, then flexographic printing will be the best option.
There’s also a broader range of colours available to you with the PMS system – including metallics, fluoro and pastels. Many of these can’t be produced as process colours, like CMYK.
Not sure which colours to choose in your design? Read our blog on colour psychology in packaging for a few helpful tips.
CMYK colours are often cheaper
CMYK colours are known to be cost-effective because they use the same set of standard inks to produce a vast rainbow of different printed colours.
To do this with PMS colours, you would need to order multiple pots of ink – making the price higher.
Plus, there’s the added bonus of having no setup or tooling costs with digital printing.
PMS colours are popular for logos
No matter where a brand is made around the world, its colour printing should remain consistent. For logos and brand colours, it’s common to use PMS colours because they are premixed – which helps guarantee consistency.
Good examples of these are Coca Cola red, Tiffany blue and Cadbury purple. Some of these brands have even patented their unique Pantone colours.
Why do major brands choose identifiable colours? Not only do they help with branding, they can also make a product stand out on crowded retail shelves. Check out our blog on shelf appeal for 5 top tips.
Quality packaging, made in Melbourne
Echo Cartons have over 25 years’ experience in corrugated box manufacturing. We pride ourselves on our friendly team, fast service and great quality boxes. Based in Braeside, Melbourne; we’re the packaging supplier of choice for Australian SME’s. When you’re ready to start a packaging order – simply request a quote.
