The PANTONE Solid Color Set Formula Guide + Solid Chips combines the two central tools of the Pantone Graphics System in one professional four-piece collection. It includes Formula Guide Coated and Uncoated fan decks plus Solid Chips Coated and Uncoated ring-bound books, providing all 2,390 current Pantone spot colours in both portable reference and removable chip formats.
Designed for graphic design, branding, packaging and print production, the set supports the complete colour workflow. The Formula Guides enable fast browsing and specification, while the Solid Chips books provide detachable samples for palettes, presentations, supplier communication and approval.
The library includes 224 new mixed colours developed in response to market and design needs. All 2,390 shades are printed on coated and uncoated stocks so users can assess how paper surface and absorbency alter the same spot ink.
This coated-versus-uncoated comparison is essential for professional print specification. A colour may appear cleaner and more saturated on coated stock, yet softer or more muted on uncoated paper. The correct C or U designation should therefore accompany every Pantone reference. The guides and chip books allow designers, clients and printers to base decisions on the substrate closest to the intended application.
Each Formula Guide displays the Pantone name or number and the corresponding ink formulation. These recipes help printers mix Pantone spot inks from the relevant base colours and translate a selected reference into production. A Lighting Indicator page also helps users determine whether ambient illumination is suitable for visual colour evaluation. Because lighting can noticeably influence colour perception, critical comparisons should be made under controlled and consistent viewing conditions.
Colours are organised chromatically for intuitive exploration of related families and tonal ranges. New colour pages appear at the front of the Formula Guides, while numerical indexes at the back of the guides and front of the chip books enable fast retrieval of a known Pantone number. This dual navigation supports both inspiration-led palette building and specification-led production work.
The two Solid Chips books contain the complete colour range as perforated samples on removable ring-binder pages. Each page presents up to seven Pantone colours, with six individual chips per shade. The approximately 3 × 2 cm chips feature colour extending to three edges, allowing them to be placed directly against another swatch, proof or printed sample without a white border interrupting the comparison.
Designers can attach the chips to mood boards, artwork, packaging mock-ups, product concepts and technical files. They can also distribute identical references to brand teams, clients, printers and international suppliers. This creates a shared physical language for colour intent and reduces the ambiguity associated with monitor displays, office printouts or descriptive terms alone.
Two Paper Chip Savers are included for organising loose or project-specific swatches. Used colours can be replenished through separately available replacement pages, helping professional studios and production departments maintain complete working references without replacing the entire chip-book set.
All colours are printed on commonly used paper weights: 148 g/m² coated and 118 g/m² uncoated. Pantone states a production tolerance aim below 2.0 ΔE00 relative to its master standard reference data. ΔE00 describes the measurable difference between colours; the stated target reflects Pantone’s effort to keep printed guides closely aligned with the master reference, while final production should still be evaluated on the intended substrate and under suitable lighting.
The set is especially valuable for brand identity and packaging programmes that require consistent colour across products, suppliers and regions. Creative teams can build palettes, while prepress and print specialists use the formulations and samples for matching, proof evaluation and press approval. Pantone Connect can additionally bring Pantone colour data into Adobe Creative Cloud, while the printed tools remain the physical references for assessment and production communication.
By combining portability, removable samples and print formulations, the PANTONE Solid Color Set supports every stage from inspiration to final approval. It is a comprehensive professional system for selecting, specifying, sharing and controlling Pantone spot colours in branding, packaging, marketing materials and other colour-critical print applications.
Key Benefits
- Four-piece set with two Formula Guides and two Solid Chips books
- Complete range of 2,390 Pantone spot colours
- Includes 224 new market- and trend-relevant mixed colours
- Coated and uncoated references for every shade
- Ink formulations included in the Formula Guides
- Six removable chips per colour in the Solid Chips books
- Three-sided colour bleed for direct comparison
- Chromatic organisation plus numerical indexes
- Lighting Indicator page for checking viewing conditions
- Two Paper Chip Savers for loose colour samples
- Printed on 148 g/m² coated and 118 g/m² uncoated stock
- Pantone tolerance aim below 2.0 ΔE00
- Supports palette creation, specification and quality control
- Ideal for branding, packaging and print production
FAQ
What is included in the PANTONE Solid Color Set?
The set contains Formula Guide Coated and Uncoated fan decks plus Solid Chips Coated and Uncoated ring-bound books, together with two Paper Chip Savers.
How many Pantone colours does the set contain?
It presents 2,390 Pantone spot colours, including 224 new mixed colours, on both coated and uncoated paper.
What is the difference between the Formula Guides and Solid Chips books?
The Formula Guides are portable references and include ink formulations. The Solid Chips books provide removable samples for specifications, presentations, sharing and colour approval.
How many removable chips are supplied per colour?
Each Solid Chips page contains up to seven colours, with six individual chips of approximately 3 × 2 cm for every shade.
What does the tolerance aim below 2.0 ΔE00 mean?
It is Pantone’s target for keeping the printed references close to its digital master standard data. It does not replace final evaluation on the intended production material.
Can individual chips or pages be replaced?
Yes. Replacement pages are available separately so frequently used colours can be replenished without replacing the complete set.