May
2024
01
An extraordinary “Claim” for a very challenging “Pain”
Pantone doesn’t just dabble in hues, paints, or color mixing gadgets. No, it’s in the business of something far more intriguing. Can you guess what it is?
Think about it: Colors are the lifeblood of visual identity. Recall the iconic 6-color Apple rainbow, IBM’s authoritative blue that appropriately gave its “Big Blue” nickname, Tiffany’s signature luxurious blue, appropriately named “Tiffany Blue” since 1845, or the vibrant red and white that instantly scream Coca-Cola. And let’s not forget the bold yellow and red combo synonymous with McDonald’s golden arches. These colors are etched into our collective consciousness, representing brands in a way that mere words can’t.
So, what’s the secret sauce Pantone is cooking up? It’s all about consistency. Picture this: the exact same shade of blue displayed flawlessly whether it’s on paper, wood, concrete, plastic, or pixels.
What Pantone sells is the promise of uniformity. That’s quite a unique and powerful Claim! Nothing short of revolutionary.
How did Pantone accomplish such a feat?
Enter Lawrence Herbert, aka “The King of Color,” whose genius transformed Pantone from a humble printing gig in 1956 into a color-matching powerhouse. Back then, print colors were about as predictable as a roulette wheel, leaving brands at the mercy of inconsistent packaging. But in 1963, Herbert waved his wand and conjured the Pantone Matching System—a game-changer that set the standard for color precision in the graphic arts industry.
Fast forward to today, and Pantone boasts a palette of over 10,000 shades meticulously formulated to defy the whims of absorption, texture, or sheen. Each color undergoes a rigorous transformation to ensure a spot-on match, verified by trusty spectrophotometers. And it’s not just about swatches—Pantone’s empire spans consulting, licensing, and cutting-edge digital services. Each year, since 1999, the company introduces the Color of the Year, which is carefully selected based on many criteria.
Pantone was acquired by X-Rite in 2007 for $180 million, later becoming part of the Danaher Group. Danaher spun off its Environmental and Applied Solutions segment as Veralto in September 2023.
Talk about a picture-perfect alignment of pain and claim!
Pantone’s legacy is more than just colors—it’s a testament to the power of precision in a world where every shade tells the same story, regardless of the material or bits displayed on a screen.