Reminds me of the day my old Pantone book finally fell apart

Back in 2018 I had this beat up Pantone guide from the early 2000s that I used for every client proof. One Tuesday it just split right down the spine while I was matching a deep red for a brewery in Portland. Does anyone else still keep a physical swatch book around or am I just sentimental about old tools?

2 comments

2 Comments

sandra1465d ago

Oh, I gotta disagree with you here... I tossed my last physical swatch book a few years ago and never looked back. The digital tools are just way more accurate for matching today’s print runs, especially with all those weird specialty stocks. I guess I’m just not that sentimental about stuff that takes up space and gets beat up over time.

the_piper5d ago

My 2018 Pantone swatch book is literally sitting on my desk right now and I use it almost daily lol. The digital tools are great for getting close but they still can't replicate the way light hits actual coated vs uncoated paper in your hands. Plus I've had way too many instances where what I saw on screen ended up looking totally different once it was printed on a matte stock. The tactile thing matters too when you're trying to explain to a client why a bright neon won't work on certain paper. I get the space argument but honestly one swatch book takes up less room than a box of cereal, it's not that bad.