The Pantone Process Color Guide provides screen tints and values of the four process colors to aid in matching. With a palette of more than 3,000 available colors, achieving an accurate match is critical to the success of your projects.

According to the Pantone Process Color Guide, a palette of more than 3,000 different colors can be achieved using the four process ink colors - cyan, magenta, yellow and black. While that sounds like a designer's dream come true, it highlights the room for error when attempting to match spot colors or balance the overall color "temperature" on a printed sheet.

There are a host of variables that can alter color reproduction, including incorrect screen tint, the quality of the printing plates and the color accuracy of the inks themselves (trust us, there are plenty more factors!). To that end, here are a few tips to keep in mind to help you achieve the most accurate color reproduction possible on your next project:

Start with Photos - Although your individual preferences may differ, photographs are typically the most color-critical elements on a printed piece. Achieving an accurate color balance on photos should be your first objective; then work on the rest of the images in your piece. Keep in mind that your layout and the location of images on the press sheet may affect color balance and accuracy.

Pay Attention to Percentages - If you have a Pantone Color Guide handy (doesn't everyone?), you'll notice percentages under the four process colors. These percentages allow you to match spot colors using the CMYK palette of software such as Adobe Photoshop. When reproduced on press, however, it can be difficult to match spot colors while maintaining the proper color balance on photos and other images. For that reason, we suggest screen builds that use 2 primary colors and black, which are much easier to achieve on press without compromising the rest of your piece.