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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I place an order for magazines, Pantone books, color and trend services listed on the site?

You could print out the specified order form(s) and

Fax it to 212-944-8757 or

Send an email to info@mpnews.com with your order with your complete company information. A representative will call you back for payment information. Or

Call 212-302-5137.

Please note, products will be shipped upon receipt of payment.

How do I schedule an appointment to review Color & Trend services?

Call 212-302-5137 or email us at info@mpnews.com with your desired date, time and season and a representative will call or email you to confirm your appointment.

Which PANTONE Color System is right for me?

Pantone provides two primary systems for color communication -- Graphic and Fashion & Home.

For graphic applications, use the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM -- solid colors for ink on paper.

This is the most widely used color language in the world and is Pantone's original and perhaps best-known system. The palette has grown from an original 500 solid (spot) color choices to over 1,500 references in the current system. It was created to serve graphic arts professionals in the selection, specification and matching of colors for ink-based printing applications. All of the popular desktop publishing programs include colors from this system. Following is a listing of publication products that support the system, together with example color references from each product:

Examples of colors:

For product design/development applications, use the PANTONE for fashion and home color system

A vital tool for designers in the apparel, home furnishings and interior design industries, consisting of 1,925 colors in cotton fabric for soft surface materials, or paper format for hard goods. This system is ideal for assembling creative palettes and conceptual color schemes in the product-development phase, and providing color communication and control during the manufacturing process.

Following is a listing of publication products that support the system, together with example color references from each product:

Cotton Edition Products -- represent the PANTONE Colors dyed to 100% woven mercerized cotton

Example of a fashion & home fabric color reference:

Paper Edition Products -- represent the PANTONE Colors simulated as nitrocellulose coatings on paper. "TPX" numbers directly correlate with the Color Selector - Cotton  "TCX" edition

Example of fashion & home paper color reference:

What is the new PANTONE SMART Card?

The SMART Card is built to provide you with the best color standard for your design and production-specification requirements. The SMART Card is manufactured to extremely tight tolerances and every color is formulated to achieve excellent colorfastness properties.

Each SMART Card is identified with four Pantone Color name and number strips and contains un-backed double-folded fabric measuring 4”x 4”. Unfolded the SMART card measures 4”x 8”. The loose, un-backed design enables fabric to be compared to skin tones and other materials.

Why are the new PANTONE SMART cards packaged in a plastic pouch?

To protect the color during storage and shipping, each SMART color swatch card is packaged airtight in a BHT-free UV-protective pouch. Pantone has improved its own manufacturing processes by ensuring all spectral readings are conducted in temperature and humidity conditioned environments. The pouch in effect “locks in” these controlled conditions and provides resistance to fading from exposure to light. Each PANTONE SMART card has been approved for color under D65 lighting, 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% Relative Humidity.

The new PANTONE SMART Card has TCX after the number. What happened to TC?

TCX is the new designator for the PANTONE FASHION & HOME SMART System. The TCX designator is now the official Pantone color standard. All TC related Pantone colors should be replaced with new TCX versions.

Why is there slight color difference between the TC colors vs. SMART TCX colors?

PANTONE numbers in the PANTONE FASHION + HOME Color Selector Cotton have been designeated with the suffix "TCX." With the new introduction of the new SMART color swatch card, Pantone reformulated every PANTONE FASHION + HOME color to maximize color consistency and simplify reproduction at the mill level. Due to these changes in the manufacturing process, you may encounter differences between the "TCX" edition and previous PANTONE Cotton editions using the suffix "TC."

Can I get a starting formulation for PANTONE SMART Colors?

Yes! To help uphold consistency and accuracy of all 1,925 colors in the PANTONE FASHION & HOME System, Pantone has formed a partnership with Clariant International Ltd., one of the world’s largest textile colorant and chemical producers. As an added benefit, Clariant can also offer color-matching support at your favorite mill or vendor. Pantone and Clariant take pride in offering on-line color matching and starting formulas at www.matchpantonecolors.com, To learn more please email us at info@mpnews.com.

What are the technical improvements for the new PANTONE SMART Card?

Pantone has successfully balanced the use of visual and digital color evaluation to create a streamlined color development process that produces the same color every time. This critical change will help you maintain utmost color accuracy from initial design concept through each development stage. Using the SMART principle, all colors have been reformulated for optimum batch-to-batch consistency, commercial reproduction and exceptional colorfastness properties. The lab-to-production correlation is less than 0.5#E CMC 2:1.  Every dye lot is evaluated against the master digital standard and must pass both digital and visual evaluation to become a PANTONE SMART Card.

The PANTONE SMART Card is also optimized for digital color measurement. Simply fold the fabric over (creating 4 plies of fabric) and measure with a spectrophotometer or similar instrument.

Can I get spectral (digital color) information for PANTONE SMART Colors?

Yes! For those who require digital color information, Pantone offers spectral data for all 1,925 SMART colors. In combination with a PANTONE SMART color swatch card, spectral data helps reduce metamerism and provides the most accurate standard combination for multiple vendor production of garments and home furnishings products. To learn more about digital color information please email us at info@mpnews.com.

 

How can I buy replacement pages for my PANTONE chip books?

Replacement pages are available for both Pantone color systems.  Please contact us at orders@mpnews.com or call 212-560-3745 to order.

How soon will I receive my Pantone Swatch order?

All Pantone SMART Swatch orders are processed on the same day for pick-up for local clients. For out-of-state clients, please specify your shipping method on the Pantone Order Form.

How could I place an order for additional color skeins?

You must have purchased the color service from which you are ordering the skeins.

Email your order to info@mpnews.com with your complete company information, the quantity of skeins and the season. A representative will call you back for payment information.

Timely Hue skeins are shipped directly form Japan within 2 to 3 days of the order date. There is a minimum of 5 skeins per order.
Please note, skeins will be shipped upon receipt of payment.

How could do I join the Margit-In-A-Minute mailing list?

Send an email to info@mpnews.com with your complete company information and you will automatically be signed up to receive Margit-In-A-Minute, a monthly email update on new color & trend services, publications, presentations and events.