A ready-made Pantone ink may be a base colour or a numbered colour mixture. First identify the product the job requires. Yellow and Warm Red are base inks, not substitutes for every guide colour.
Ready-to-use Pantone ink: a base for printing and mixing
For printing with a base ink or mixing in-house, choose ready-to-print Pantone inks and Easy Mix bases. Novavit Easy Mix BIO contains ready-to-print base inks for sheet-fed offset. Use them directly or prepare a suitable mixture.
For example: EasyMix BIO Yellow i EasyMix BIO Warm Red are different base inks. Compare the exact name and colour fastness. One base does not define the whole series.
When should you order a custom-mixed colour?
For a specific numbered spot color, order a blend that matches your agreed-upon reference sample. This is also the right approach if the printing house does not perform its own ink mixing. The scope of this service is provided by the WIT ink mixing service.
| Scenario | What should you order? |
|---|---|
| Printing a specific base, such as Warm Red | The exactly named base ink |
| Custom mixing based on a verified formula | The correct base inks in the required quantities |
| An order for a numbered spot color | The appropriate blend or a pre-approved, finalized variant |
| Specific resistance requirements | Individually verified composition and sample |
What information is needed to order the correct color?
- The full color designation, including the ‘C’ or ‘U’ suffix.
- The guide edition and the approved physical reference.
- The type and name of the target paper stock.
- The printing technology and planned finishing process.
- Requirements regarding lightfastness, chemical resistance, or other durability factors.
‘C’ denotes the color as it appears on coated paper, while ‘U’ refers to uncoated paper. Therefore, always provide the number along with the substrate designation. If necessary, consult Pantone colour guides to select the correct reference point.
Do not automatically transfer formulas between different editions of color guides or different sets of base inks. For ‘Resistant’ and ‘Extra’ variants, always verify the specific usage guidelines. Verify the formulation; do not replace an ingredient simply because it has a similar name.
Questions regarding ready-made Pantone ink
Can I freely substitute any EasyMix ink within a formulation?
Do not replace a base component solely based on a similar name. Use “Extra Blue” for direct printing. It cannot directly replace a standard base colour in Pantone PLUS formulations.
Does a Pantone number guarantee an identical result on every type of paper?
No. Agree upon the substrate, reference sample, and finish. Then, verify the result with a proof—especially when changing the paper stock or the finishing process.
A separate guide explains colour preparation: the WIT technical guide to mixing Pantone inks.
