The PANTONE Color Bridge Guide Set Coated & Uncoated is a professional cross-media colour reference for translating Pantone spot colours into print and digital applications. The two portable fan guides present 2,359 Pantone Matching System colours alongside their closest industry-standard CMYK simulations and provide corresponding sRGB and HTML/Hex values for digital design.
This makes the Color Bridge set an essential tool for graphic designers, brand teams, packaging specialists, print manufacturers, web designers, animators and video professionals who need to manage colour across different production technologies. It creates a practical connection between dedicated Pantone spot-colour printing, four-colour CMYK process printing and screen-based colour communication.
A Pantone spot colour is printed with a specially mixed ink, while CMYK reproduction builds colours from combinations of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. These production methods do not have identical colour gamuts. Certain vivid, saturated or distinctive Pantone colours cannot be reproduced exactly using standard four-colour process printing.
The PANTONE Color Bridge shows these differences directly. Every spot colour is displayed beside its closest printed CMYK equivalent, enabling users to see whether the process-colour result is visually acceptable or whether the project should retain a genuine Pantone spot ink. This side-by-side comparison helps teams establish realistic production expectations before artwork is approved or printing begins.
Using a CMYK approximation may offer practical or economic advantages for projects already printed in four-colour process, especially when adding a separate spot ink would increase production complexity. For colour-critical brand identities, premium packaging or designs containing colours outside the CMYK gamut, the original Pantone spot colour may remain the more appropriate choice. The guide makes this decision visible rather than leaving it to an unreliable screen conversion.
The set includes one guide printed on coated stock and one on uncoated stock. This distinction is important because the same colour can appear significantly different depending on the surface and absorbency of the paper. Coated stock generally produces a clearer and more saturated appearance, while uncoated paper often creates a softer, less concentrated result.
The guides are produced on commonly used text-weight papers: approximately 148 g/m² coated and 118 g/m² uncoated. This gives designers and printers a material-relevant reference when planning packaging, brochures, stationery, publications, labels and other printed applications. The correct Pantone C or U reference should always be selected according to the intended substrate.
The current edition includes 224 newer, trend- and market-relevant graphics colours. New shades are positioned at the front of the guides, while the complete colour range is organised predominantly in chromatic order. This supports intuitive exploration of related colour families and makes it easier to compare neighbouring spot and process-colour options.
A numerical index at the back of each fan provides the location of every colour. Users can therefore browse visually during palette development or move directly to a known Pantone number during specification, artwork preparation or production review.
Each reference includes the Pantone colour designation, its closest CMYK breakdown and the related sRGB and HTML/Hex values. Pantone identifies Color Bridge as its graphic tool combining printed spot-to-process comparisons with CMYK, RGB and HTML information. It is therefore particularly valuable when a brand colour must be adapted across packaging, publications, websites, interfaces, animation, social media and video.
The updated CMYK values were developed using G7 methodology to reflect contemporary colour-management and commercial printing conditions more accurately. The coated and uncoated guides are printed in alignment with CRPC6 and CRPC3 press-reference conditions. These references provide a more realistic basis for viewing how a Pantone spot colour may translate into standard process printing.
The printed comparison remains a production-planning reference rather than a guarantee that every press, substrate and workflow will produce an identical result. Printing conditions, paper whiteness, ink, calibration and finishing can all influence final colour appearance. Production proofs and press sheets should therefore be evaluated under controlled conditions before final approval.
A Lighting Indicator page helps users determine whether the ambient illumination is appropriate for visual colour assessment. Unsuitable lighting can make the same colour appear warmer, cooler, darker or less saturated. Checking the viewing environment supports more dependable comparisons between the guide, proofs and printed production samples.
The colours extend to the edges of the guide pages, allowing a selected reference to be positioned directly against a print sample during visual evaluation. The compact fan format, measuring approximately 4 × 23.5 cm per guide, is easy to carry between studios, client meetings, supplier presentations and press checks.
For branding, the Color Bridge set helps establish coordinated spot, process and digital colour values within identity guidelines. Packaging teams can assess whether brand and product colours can be reproduced satisfactorily in CMYK before selecting a production method. Graphic designers can translate print colours into web and digital environments, while digital teams gain defined RGB and HTML references related to the original Pantone selection.
The guide is also valuable for international collaboration. Designers, clients, printers and production partners can refer to the same physical comparison when discussing colour conversion and acceptable visual tolerances. This reduces dependence on monitor appearance and helps prevent unrealistic assumptions about the relationship between Pantone spot colours and CMYK printing.
Pantone Connect can additionally support integration with Adobe Creative Cloud applications such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. Digital colour data streamlines artwork creation, while the physical Color Bridge guides remain the essential printed references for evaluating the actual spot-to-process relationship.
The PANTONE Color Bridge Guide Set Coated & Uncoated provides the information required to make informed colour-conversion decisions across print and digital media. By combining physical Pantone references, realistic CMYK simulations and RGB and HTML values, it enables professionals to manage colour expectations from initial inspiration through design development, production and press approval.
Key Benefits
- Two portable fan guides: Coated and Uncoated
- 2,359 Pantone spot colours
- Includes 224 newer graphics colours
- Pantone spot colours shown beside their closest CMYK matches
- CMYK, sRGB and HTML/Hex values included
- Updated process values developed using G7 methodology
- Printed to align with CRPC6 and CRPC3 press references
- Coated and uncoated references for substrate comparison
- Chromatic colour arrangement for intuitive selection
- New colours positioned at the front of the guides
- Numerical indexes for efficient colour location
- Lighting Indicator for checking viewing conditions
- Supports print, packaging, web, animation and video
- Helps determine when CMYK is acceptable and when spot ink is preferable
- Suitable for colour planning, conversion, specification and press checks
FAQ
What is the PANTONE Color Bridge Guide Set used for?
It is used to compare Pantone spot colours with their closest printed CMYK equivalents and to identify corresponding RGB and HTML/Hex values for digital applications.
How many colours are included?
The set presents 2,359 Pantone spot colours, including 224 newer graphics colours, in both coated and uncoated guides.
Are Pantone spot colours and their CMYK matches identical?
No. CMYK has a different and generally smaller colour gamut. The guide shows the closest industry-standard process match so users can judge whether the visual difference is acceptable.
What is the difference between the coated and uncoated guides?
They show the colours on different paper surfaces. Coated paper usually creates a cleaner, more saturated result, while uncoated paper often produces a softer appearance.
Does the Color Bridge include Pantone spot-ink mixing formulas?
No. It provides CMYK, RGB and HTML/Hex conversion values. Pantone spot-ink formulations are supplied in the PANTONE Formula Guide.
Can the RGB and HTML values guarantee identical screen colour?
No. They provide defined digital equivalents, but the visible result also depends on monitor calibration, colour profiles, software and the display technology being used.