How to Choose Pantone Colors for Rubber Keychains

While designing your soon-to-be rubber keychains, a crucial step in the process is deciding which colors to use. This sounds simple, but there’s a lot more to it than just choosing some colors from your design software. The way color is presented on a screen is very different from how it is presented on paper, cloth, rubber, or any other material. Because of the importance of color in designing keychains this step could get a bit nitpicky and tedious. However, rubber keychains can be a large investment and we want you to get the exact colors you desire. So, let’s get into how to pick out your colors so there’s no disparity between your envisioned keychains and the product you receive.

Pantone

Before we get into the detailed steps of how to choose your colors, let’s go over a brief history of the Pantone color identifying system and how it was created and honed into the design staple that it is today.

The History of Pantone

Pantone colors have become a staple in the design and branding industry, with their distinct color matching system used worldwide. The Pantone Matching System (PMS) was created by Lawrence Herbert, a chemistry graduate from Hofstra University, in 1963. Herbert, who was working at a printing company at the time, found that the color matching process was often inconsistent and frustrating. He decided to create a standardized system that would ensure accurate and consistent color matching across different industries.

The first Pantone color guide, which featured 500 colors, was released in 1963. It was an instant success, and the system quickly gained popularity among graphic designers, printers, and other professionals who needed to specify colors. Over the years, Pantone has expanded its color palette and developed new color systems to meet the needs of different industries. In 1987, Pantone introduced the Hexachrome color system, which added orange and green to the traditional CMYK color model.

In 2000, the company launched the Pantone Goe System, which featured over 2,000 colors and was designed for use in the fashion, home, and plastics industries. And in 2015, Pantone introduced its first-ever "Color of the Year" - Marsala, a deep, earthy red. The Pantone “Color of the Year” in 2023 is Viva Magenta, which You-Goods has chosen as the color to represent us. According to Pantone, the color is described by the company as “brave and fearless” which “promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration”. Exuding confidence and celebration is what we’re all about so we think it fits perfectly. 

Today, Pantone continues to be the industry standard for color matching, and its color guides are used by designers, printers, and other professionals around the world. The Pantone Color Institute also provides color trend forecasting and consulting services to help businesses and designers stay ahead of the curve.

Choosing Your Rubber Keychain ColorsRGB vs. CMYK vs. Pantone

Most digital art and colors chosen for digital platforms use RGB and the HTML hexadecimal systems since the digital medium is the only one in which they are used. CMYK and Pantone, on the other hand, are meant specifically for design outside of the digital scape and to be seen as light reflecting off of the material rather than using color to light up a dark screen. So, it’s best to switch your design platform color mode to Pantone or CMYK from the beginning. If you don’t start out using one of these two modes then when we get the design the colors may change as we switch the design to the CMYK mode which we then use to determine the Pantone colors.

Choosing Pantone Colors

As previously discussed, there can be some pretty significant differences between colors seen on the computer and when they appear on paper or other materials. The best way to confirm you get the best color match is to use a Pantone Uncoated Formula Guide. However, these can be quite costly and most people don’t have Pantone Formula Guides just lying around the house or office. So, how do you get around this obstacle? Following this will be a step by step process of how we will work with you to confirm the colors of your future rubber keychains.

1. Using the design software of your choice, design your custom rubber keychains using this template[template download] while making sure to change the color mode to CMYK. This step is crucial.
2. Design the keychain as usual using the template, keeping in mind that gradation is not possible and that each section should be one solid block of color.
3. IF you have access to a Pantone Formula Guides then use the Uncoated formula guide to match the colors you chose. Put the color name in the box in the template as shown below. Don’t forget that your base color counts as one of your 12 colorsIf you don’t have access to the formula guides then don’t worry, you can leave these blank for now.
4. Once you’re satisfied with your design, then you can either submit your order, or if you chose not to upload your design at the time of order, then you can email your rubber keychain design to your sales rep at [insert corporate email here]. If you chose your Pantone colors based off of the formula guide, our designers may suggest corrections based on the colors in your submitted design. If this is the case then you will need to talk to your sales rep about the suggestions. You can choose to ignore these suggestions or make the correction. Just remember that if your sales rep contacts you about color corrections please respond with your decision. After this phase, if you chose to fill in the color boxes then you are done with color. If you left the color boxes blank, then read on.
5. After submitting your design then our highly qualified designers will review your design to make sure the lines are the correct size, and other elements to make sure there will be no issues when making your custom PVC keychains. In addition, we will match the colors in your rubber keychain design to a Pantone color, and list them in the template’s color table for you. Once this is finished we will send you an email with a mockup of your design including the Pantone color specifications.
6. After receiving the keychain design mockup made by our team then we will print out a color copy of your rubber keychain design and send it directly to you. This may sound strange, but it is the best way to confirm your desired colors are fulfilled.
7. Once you receive the color copy then you can either confirm the colors or ask to make corrections. If you want to make corrections then we will repeat the process until you are satisfied.

There are a lot of different design elements involved in the rubber keychain design process, and each of them is important to getting the keychains that you actually desire. When designing your rubber keychains, selecting the right colors is crucial. The colors on a screen may look different on paper or other materials. With proper attention to detail, you can ensure that your custom rubber keychains match your envisioned design.