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Pantone Plastic Colors

6 replies [Last post]
Tue, 07/23/2013 - 18:07
PiGuy
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I have created a game, Sovereign Chess, which uses chess pieces of twelve different colors. Since the exact color is vital to the look and gameplay, I have had many sources direct me to get the exact Pantone plastic colors I would like for my pieces.

However, nobody seems to have actual Pantone plastic chip books on hand from which I can choose the exact colors. Of course, I can buy chip books from Pantone or other sources, but a complete set costs close to $3,000.

Has anyone experienced this issue, and if so, is there an easier--and cheaper--resolution?

Thanks in advance,

Mark Bates
Creator, Sovereign Chess
mark@sovereignchess.com

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Tue, 07/23/2013 - 19:01
#1
questccg
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Use Adobe Photoshop

PiGuy wrote:
Of course, I can buy chip books from Pantone or other sources, but a complete set costs close to $3,000.

Has anyone experienced this issue, and if so, is there an easier--and cheaper--resolution?

Hmm... Use CMYK color in Photoshop and select "Custom" from the Color Picker dialog, this will display the Pantone Color palette... TRUST ME, there are a TON of colors to choose from. Each color has a unique identifier which can be relayed to the printer to ensure the proper color is used. If you have Adobe Photoshop, that should cost you $0.00 to get the right Pantone colors!

Hopefully you have Photoshop CS (or above) - and this solution should be the simplest (not to mention FREE).

Best of luck!

Note: To display the Color Picker dialog, just click on the Toolbar the Fore or Back color. Once the dialog appears you will see the "Custom" button. Clicking on that will bring up the Pantone (and other color schemes)...

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Tue, 07/23/2013 - 19:44
#2
seo
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I would NOT recommend

I would NOT recommend questccg's method, if you want accuracy. there are many issues: you start from CMYK and ask Photoshop to find the closest match in the Pantone catalog, which is NOT for Process colors (there is a Pantone book for process colors, but then, that is just a set of printed samples of several CMYK colors, not what people usually reffers to when they say Pantone). You would also selecting a CMYK color based on the RGB display on your monitor, which is, again, the wrong way to do it.

My suggestion, instead, is to either buy yourself the basic Pantone Formula Guide set for $125 (http://www.amazon.com/Pantone-GP1301XR-Formula-Coated-Uncoated/dp/B007X7...) and tell your provider the PMS code, or if you are not going to be specifying Pantone colors too often, simply visit a print shop nearby and ask politely if they would be so nice as to let you look at their Pantone catalog to find the code for the colors you need. Most ptinters would have no problem letting you see their catalog.

The Plastic Standard Chips Color Collection is just a fancy set of plastic pieces that match some of the colors in the Formula Guide set. For all practical purposes, you do not need that.

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Wed, 07/24/2013 - 21:08
#3
PiGuy
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Thank you...

...seo, for your help. As you noted, it is always tricky comparing colors on a computer screen versus in print, and then again comparing with plastic.

I will take your advice and see if the print color guide matches well with the Pantone plastic chips.

Thanks again,

Mark

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Wed, 07/24/2013 - 22:44
#4
questccg
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$125 for swatches?!

PiGuy wrote:
As you noted, it is always tricky comparing colors on a computer screen versus in print, and then again comparing with plastic.

The problem I see (in terms of accuracy) is ensuring ALL manufacturing runs produce IDENTICAL colored pieces.

So that would mean selecting 12 colors that are DISTINCT from each other:

White, Light Gray, Dark Gray, Black, Brown, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple.

That is 12 distinct colors. This is opposed to:

Red 1, Red 2, Red 3, Red 4, Red 5, Red 6, Red 7, Red 8, Red 9, Red 10, Red 11, Red 12.

Now all you need to do is CHOOSE those 12 colors from a Pantone palette and send the PMS codes to your manufacturer.

That is the accuracy you need = identical colors for all runs.

Personally I would not worry if they are not 100% matching their RGB (or CMYK) counterpart. But if you want to spend $125 just so that the color matches a paper swatch - well that's your business. I personally would pocket the money and go with 12 select colors - and find matching PMS codes.

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Thu, 07/25/2013 - 08:12
#5
seo
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Questccg rises an important

Questccg rises an important point: even if you can have perfect accuracy from your specs to the manufactured item, you still want twelve distinct colors, given that people playing will not be using a spectrophotometer to measure and identify the game components. ;)

Also, remember that color blind people will have trouble identifying some of your twelve colors, so you might want to have distinct shapes or symbols or something associated with each color. Even for people with perfect vision, under regular light conditions, some of the twelve colors might be hard to tell apart (not so much in the green spectrum, but more so in the purple-red-orange-yellow spectrum).

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Thu, 07/25/2013 - 22:24
#6
questccg
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Maybe use some symbols...

seo wrote:
Also, remember that color blind people will have trouble identifying some of your twelve colors, so you might want to have distinct shapes or symbols or something associated with each color. Even for people with perfect vision, under regular light conditions, some of the twelve colors might be hard to tell apart (not so much in the green spectrum, but more so in the purple-red-orange-yellow spectrum).

I looked into the website for the game and watched some of the video associated with the game. Seo brings up a good point about not being able to distinguish all the colors. Your game has pawns and other pieces of the SAME TYPE - but in a different color.

The key element to distinguish the various pieces is COLOR: this might make things somewhat complicated in determining which piece is which?! This is especially true for people who have problems distinguishing colors.

You could add a "Symbol" on the back of each pawn, so as to help in distinguishing it from another COLOR.

I cannot think up of a better solution. Sorry.

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