Your logo has a blue, but not just any old blue. It has a very specific blue. It’s the same blue that’s on your website, your signage, your business cards. And it should be the same blue that’s on your apparel. To achieve color consistency across such a diverse set of mediums, designers and manufacturers rely on a standardized system of colors called the Pantone Matching System, or PMS for short.
The typical operating procedure for our industry is to default to a set of stock bucket colors that come pre-mixed from an ink supplier. If you need a blue, you can choose Carolina Blue, Navy Blue, or Royal Blue. If you need the blue to be your specific blue, that’s an extra fee.
Not here. Matching your brand color to the Pantone system is standard on every order we run, and it doesn’t cost extra
We’re Kong Screenprinting, we specialize in providing custom screenprinted and embroidered apparel for restaurants, trades crews, startups, schools, and nonprofits that need their colors to be right. Here’s how that works and what we need from you to get it right.
The quick answer, before you read the whole thing
If you only read one part, read this one.
- Custom ink mixing of Pantone (PMS) colors is free on every order. Send us your PMS number, or your brand guide, and we’ll match to it.
- If you don’t have a Pantone number, we’ll find the closest Pantone match to the colors in your artwork file, and show you a digital proof before we print.
- For screen printing, we mix the ink to a recipe to match the PMS number. DTF matches the colors in your artwork through a color conversion. Embroidery is matched by picking thread colors that closely match the colors in your design logo. These often correspond to a Pantone color, but not always.
- A digital proof comes standard, so you approve the colors before a single shirt runs.
Why exact color matters for organizations
Every screen, monitor, and printer shows color a little differently, so eyeballing a color off a screen can get you close – but it’s never going to be correct.
Organizations lean on consistent color to be recognized. A brewery’s taproom shirts sit next to the same blue on its tap handles and cans. A school’s spirit wear sits next to that color on the gym floor. Consistency is paramount.
That’s why we mix colors to the Pantone Matching System (PMS) instead of guessing off a screen or using a stock color. Pantone assigns a unique number to a specific color, so “your blue” is standardized, not just a description. Give us that number and we use a recipe to mix it. It’s the difference between telling a painter “kind of a sky blue” and handing them the exact paint code.
How Pantone matching works in screen printing
LIke we talked about before, Pantone, or PMS, is a standardized color system used across printing, design, and manufacturing. Instead of describing a color in words, the Pantone Matching System gives it a number, like PMS 285 C for a specific blue.
For screen printing, that PMS number corresponds to a recipe in our ink system. For every order, we mix the ink to that formula directly with no guessing involved.
If you don’t have a PMS number on hand, send us what you do have. Your logo file, a hex code from your website, or even a shirt or sign you already own. We’ll figure out the closest PMS match and show you a digital proof, often built through our mockup tool, Seddi Decorator, which scales your design to the actual specs of the garment you chose. So what you approve on screen matches what you get in the box.
And we do it at no extra cost. Matching your color is part of the job, not an add-on. Most shops charge extra for a custom color outside their standard set. We don’t.
Pantone matching with DTF and embroidery
Color matching with DTF (direct to film) and embroidery work a little differently.
DTF (direct-to-film) prints digitally, so the colors in your file will match closely with the colors in the print. This makes it the right call for full-color art, particularly at low quantities. Also, file prep matters. Setting your art software to CMYK color mode when creating your file will help ensure the colors translate accurately.
Embroidery works differently as well. We can’t mix colors for thread, it comes pre-dyed on a spool. However, the threads in a manufacturer’s color chart carry an assigned Pantone value. So we match the available thread colors to the colors in your design. The thread colors selection isn’t as expansive as the entire Pantone library so we can’t always match it spot on, but there’s typically something very close.
Still weighing screen printing against embroidery? Our screen printing vs. embroidery breakdown covers that call in full. Tell us which method you’re leaning toward and we’ll tell you honestly what kind of match to expect.
How to supply your brand colors to Kong
The fastest way to nail your color on the first run is to hand us whatever you’ve got. You don’t need all of this, just send what you have:
- Your PMS numbers, or even better, your full brand style guide.
- Your logo file, vector if you have it (AI, EPS, or SVG)
- A hex or CMYK value
- A physical item already printed in the right color: a sign, a shirt, a hat
Our guide to artwork and file prep for screen printing covers what makes a file press-ready, if you want to go deeper on that side of it.
What if you don’t know your Pantone number
Most people who call us don’t have a PMS number sitting in a folder, and that’s fine. We take whatever your send us, cross-reference it against the Pantone library, and find the closest match.
Once we’ve got a match, you’ll see a digital proof before anything runs. For a new product launch, a rebrand, or any order where the color’s gotta be perfect, we’re also happy to coordinate a photo proof or an in-person press check, free of charge, at any order size. That’s your last checkpoint before your full production starts.
It’s also worth noting, matching your brand color from a guide is a different beast than matching a shirt you already had printed somewhere else. If you’re reordering against an old shirt, let us know up front so we can coordinate getting the garment we need to match. For how we keep an ink formula consistent from one run to the next, our guide to screen printing reorders covers it.
Key Takeaways
Pantone matching costs nothing extra. Every order gets matched to PMS, whether you hand us a number or just a logo.
Each decoration matches the color a little differently.
A digital proof comes before printing. You approve the actual color, not just a guess at it.
Ready to get your brand color right on your next order? Get a quote or contact our team and send us what you’ve got. Curious what shapes the number on that quote? Our guide to what shapes a custom screen printing quote covers it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kong match my exact brand color, and does it cost extra?
You know it! And it doesn’t cost extra. We match the ink and thread to Pantone colors so your brand color prints the same on every run, whether you’re ordering 25 shirts or 500. Send your brand guidelines, PMS number, or color codes with your artwork and we’ll take it from there.
What is Pantone (PMS) color matching?
The Pantone Matching System, or PMS, is a standardized color system that assigns a unique number to a color. It’s how printers, designers, and manufacturers communicate and stay consistent on color across different materials and locations.
What do I need to send Kong to match my brand colors?
Send whatever you have. A PMS number from your brand style guide is the fastest route, but a logo file, a hex, CMYK, or RGB values work too. Heck, even a physical item already printed in the right color works too. The more you send, the closer and faster the match.
What if I don’t have a Pantone number for my logo?
That’s the most common situation. We’ll pull the closest PMS match from your logo file, then confirm it with a digital proof before anything prints. You’re approving the actual color, not just trusting our guess at it.
Does Pantone matching work the same across screen printing, DTF, and embroidery?
Not exactly. Screen printing mixes ink to a PMS color from a recipe. DTF prints digitally, matching the colors in your artwork through a color conversion. Embroidery matches by thread, choosing the closest thread to your Pantone color from the manufacturer’s chart.
Will my color match across different garment colors, like a white shirt versus a black one?
The same ink formula can look different depending on the garment color underneath it, especially on darker fabrics. On a dark garment we usually lay down a white underbase first so the color on top reads true. Think of it like a primer coat in painting.
Can Kong match a color from an old shirt or sign instead of a brand guide?
Yes, you can send a physical item and we’ll match against it. Matching an existing piece is a slightly different process than matching from a brand guide, but it’s not uncommon. If reordering to match a previous print is your main goal, that’s worth flagging up front so we handle it the right way.
Ready to start
Your custom merch deserves a partner, not just a printer. Send us your PMS number, or just your logo, and we’ll show you the match before anything prints. Get a quote and we’ll take it from there.
