The PANTONE Solid Guide Set is a compact professional bundle for designers, printers, brand teams and production specialists who need access to the full Pantone spot-colour universe for graphics and print. The set combines four portable fan decks: the PANTONE Formula Guide Coated, Formula Guide Uncoated, PANTONE Metallics Guide and PANTONE Pastels & Neons Guide.
Together, these guides provide 3,255 Pantone spot and specialty colours: 2,390 traditional spot colours, 655 metallic colours, 154 pastel colours and 56 neon colours. This makes the set a focused, cost-efficient solution for colour-critical projects where spot-colour printing, special effects or exact colour communication are essential.
The Formula Guides form the foundation of the Pantone Matching System for graphic and print applications. They present 2,390 traditional Pantone spot colours on both coated and uncoated paper, helping designers and printers specify colours according to the intended substrate. Each colour is shown with its Pantone number and ink formulation, giving print professionals the information required to reproduce the selected spot colour on press.
Spot colours are particularly important for logos, brand identities, packaging, signage and marketing materials where a defined colour must remain recognisable and consistent. Unlike CMYK process printing, a Pantone spot colour is produced with a specifically mixed ink. This allows certain colours to be achieved with greater precision, especially when brand standards, saturated shades or repeatable production results are required.
The coated and uncoated Formula Guides are both included because paper surface has a substantial influence on colour appearance. Coated stock generally produces sharper, cleaner and more saturated colours. Uncoated paper often creates a softer, more matte and less concentrated appearance. By comparing both versions, teams can select the correct Pantone C or U reference before artwork, proofing and production begin.
The Metallics Guide expands the system with 655 metallic spot colours for applications that require reflection, depth and premium impact. Metallic colours are especially relevant for packaging, logos, promotional print, labels and signage. They can add a refined, luxurious or high-visibility effect that standard flat inks cannot reproduce in the same way.
The Pastels & Neons Guide adds 154 pastel and 56 neon specialty spot colours. Pastels provide softer, lighter and more subtle tonal options for sophisticated graphic and packaging concepts. Neons deliver vivid, attention-focused colour for communication that needs stronger visibility, energy or promotional impact. Together with the Formula and Metallics guides, they give creative teams access to both standard and expressive specialty colour directions.
Every guide is arranged chromatically, allowing users to browse colour families intuitively and compare neighbouring shades. The 224 newer, market-relevant graphics colours are placed at the front of the two Formula Guides, while the five new base inks are shown on page 1.5 of the full guide. Numerical indexes at the back of each fan make it easy to locate a specific Pantone reference during specification, artwork preparation or production review.
Each colour is displayed with its corresponding number and ink formulation. This connection between visual reference and technical formula is one of the set’s most important workflow advantages. Designers can present an exact colour intention, while printers can use the formulation data to match the colour in production. This reduces ambiguity between creative selection, client approval, prepress and pressroom execution.
The guides are printed on commonly used paper weights: 148 g/m² coated and 118 g/m² uncoated. Pantone states a tolerance target of less than 2.0 ΔE00 against Pantone Master Standard reference data. This supports close alignment between the printed guides and Pantone’s master colour standards, while final results should still be verified on the intended substrate under suitable lighting and production conditions.
Lighting Indicator pages help users assess whether the viewing environment is appropriate for colour evaluation. This is essential because the same printed colour can appear warmer, cooler, darker or less saturated under unsuitable light. Checking viewing conditions supports more reliable decisions during studio reviews, stakeholder meetings, supplier communication and press checks.
The portable fan format makes the Solid Guide Set practical for daily professional use. Each guide measures approximately 4 × 23.5 cm and can travel easily between design studio, client presentation, classroom, print supplier and production site. This makes the set useful not only for established creative departments, but also for design schools and emerging professionals learning to work with industrial colour standards.
For brand teams, the set supports the definition and communication of colour standards across logos, packaging and marketing materials. For graphic designers and creative directors, it provides a broad palette for developing visual identities, campaigns and printed design systems. For printers and prepress teams, the ink formulations support accurate colour matching and production planning.
The PANTONE Solid Guide Set is ideal when the priority is spot-colour selection, specification and approval rather than CMYK conversion or digital colour values. It brings together the standard, metallic, pastel and neon Pantone spot-colour families in one practical bundle, helping professionals create, communicate and reproduce colour with greater confidence.
Key Benefits
- Four portable Pantone fan guides
- Complete spot-colour and specialty-colour bundle
- 3,255 Pantone colours in total
- 2,390 traditional Pantone spot colours
- 655 metallic colours for premium print effects
- 154 pastel colours and 56 neon colours
- Includes Formula Guide Coated and Uncoated
- Includes Metallics Guide and Pastels & Neons Guide
- Pantone numbers and ink formulations included
- Printed on 148 g/m² coated and 118 g/m² uncoated paper
- Chromatic arrangement for intuitive colour selection
- 224 newer graphics colours in the Formula Guides
- Five new base inks shown in the full guide
- Lighting Indicator pages for viewing-condition checks
- Tolerance target below 2.0 ΔE00 to Pantone Master Standard data
FAQ
What is included in the PANTONE Solid Guide Set?
The set includes four fan guides: Formula Guide Coated, Formula Guide Uncoated, Metallics Guide and Pastels & Neons Guide.
How many colours does the Solid Guide Set contain?
It contains 3,255 Pantone spot and specialty colours: 2,390 traditional spot colours, 655 metallics, 154 pastels and 56 neons.
Does the set include Pantone ink formulations?
Yes. Each colour is displayed with its corresponding Pantone number and ink formulation to support professional spot-colour printing.
What is the difference between coated and uncoated references?
Coated paper usually makes colours appear clearer and more saturated, while uncoated paper often creates a softer, more matte colour appearance.
What are the Metallics and Pastels & Neons guides used for?
They provide specialty spot colours for premium packaging, branding, signage, marketing materials and print designs that require metallic effects, soft pastels or vivid neons.
Does the Solid Guide Set include CMYK, RGB or HTML values?
No. The Solid Guide Set focuses on Pantone spot colours and ink formulations. For CMYK, RGB and HTML/Hex conversions, use the PANTONE Color Bridge Guide.