About the Pantone to RGB Converter
Mockups, slide decks and screen proofs all need three numbers between 0 and 255, so a Pantone reference from a brand book has to be translated before it can be shown to anyone on a screen. Enter references one per line and each returns an rgb() triple next to a swatch drawn in that colour.
Reading a reference is deliberately loose: the PANTONE word, the PMS abbreviation, the coated or uncoated suffix and any surrounding punctuation are stripped before the lookup, and extra spaces do not matter. Numeric codes are compared without leading zeros, so 021 and 21 land on the same ink.
Bear in mind what these numbers are. A spot ink is a physical mix with its own reflectance curve, and squeezing that into three channels of emitted light loses the finish, the metallic sheen and the way the colour behaves under different lighting. Two suppliers can also publish RGB values a few units apart for the same ink. Use the triple for layout and comps, then let a printed proof settle any argument. For a stylesheet value use Pantone to HEX, and for the print build use Pantone to CMYK.
How to use
- Paste Pantone references, one per line.
- Press Look up to read the rgb() triples.
- Use the swatch to check you have the right ink.
- Copy the values into your mockup or slide theme.
Common questions
- Do leading zeros in a code matter?
- No, a reference written 021 resolves to the same ink as 21.
- Why does the swatch differ from the printed sample I have?
- Screens emit light and paper reflects it, and no monitor reproduces an ink finish, so a small shift is expected.
- Can I look up several references at once?
- Yes, put each one on its own line and every line is resolved separately.
- Are metallic inks supported?
- Two metallics are included as flat approximations, but no RGB value can show a metallic sheen.