Pantone Zone - Can I get away without the bridge?

Question

thanks for reading. I looked through the other questions/answers but couldn't figure out my answer.

I have designs for three labels in Illustrator for printing on bottle labels and packaging for those bottles. Can I get away with just using the regular formula guide by setting the color to be "perfect" on my monitor and flipping through the formula guide swatches to match that color visually - holding the colors swatches literally up to the screen to compare? Or is it a better idea to just deal with it, and get the bridge?

Thank you!

Answer 1

If you work in CMYK there is a chance you need it but you can use a color atlas instead. I do not have the color bridge and I have never needed it.

If your label is going to be printed with spot colors, it is in fact a better idea to use the formula guide because is the one used to create spot inks.

setting the color to be "perfect" on my monitor and flipping through the formula guide swatches to match that color visually

No. Your process is backward.

1. You choose the color with a good illumination physically on the Pantone formula guide, using either daylight or using a controlled light boot.

2. Assign the color on your design using the same library as your guide, for example, Pantone+

3. If it matches visually, good. If your monitor is a monochromatic one, you are still good because the color on your particular screen is not as relevant as the decision you made on step 1. Yes, it helps to make further decisions but you should not rely a printed production on what you see in your monitor.