Pantone to CMYK conversion, the problems + A few tips

Pantone to CMYK conversion (but it doesn't match?)
There has been a long standing problem with matching the industry standard 'Solid Pantone' colour swatches when printing them in a 4 colour process job. A pantone ink colour is a solid ink colour, where as the 4 colour process colour is tints of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & (K)Black which creates the optical illusion of that colour; and therefore is limited in the range of colours it can reproduce. For example, the 4 colour process system has great difficulty in producing bright orange colours.
Colours and their reproduction has always been a reoccurring issue with printing. There are far too many possible issue to list out here. However, we can point to a few of the obvious problems, and a few solutions, especially from an artwork point of view.

The Pantone Swatches - A long standing colour system for guaranteeing colour consistency.
Unfortunately not, there are some issues. Pantone supply software manufacturers with the relevant cmyk breakdowns of the solid colours. These breakdowns however, are not consistent. There are constant revisions in the specification of colours, and these are passed on with every new version of software. For example, an old version of Quark 3 may well have a different cmyk breakdown for a colour when compared to the same colour in Quark 8! An obvious issue, possibly, but one that isn't always considered. There are further differences in the handling of colours from Photoshop to Illustrator! On top of these issues, there is the introduction of colour profiles which alters the colours within a file to simulate a type of printing-press & paper, an in-depth subject not to be explored here (yet).

Paper - coated, un-coated & the finish will affect colour!
The type and quality of paper the job is produced on, will have a large affect on the final colour. Also, if there are any extra finishes, such as laminates, these will change the colours.

Without writing a volume of manuals and help books, there are few tips you can have in mind to help, or avoid these issues;

Have you got the latest colour books?
It is worth having the suite of latest pantone books, visually they will give you the best idea of how your colour will look (ON SCREEN IS DECEPTIVE!). Despite the cost, they are cheaper than re-prints!

Not all pantone 'solid' colours are reproducible in 4 colour process.
Check you intended colour in an up-to-date Pantone Colour Bridge book. This will show you how different the Solid Pantone Colour will be in 4 colour process, some colours are never going to match when produced in 4 colour (orange 021!!).

Is the paper coated or un-coated?
On top of the reference in the colour bridge book, you can cross reference your colour with the coated and un-coated books. There is a noticeable difference in the colours on different paper types. You may need to adjust your choice of colour for different papers.

Is the final job having a laminate or coating?
If your are having a laminate or coating, this will affect the colour greatly. It is not always possible to predict the result, so be aware.

Do the cmyk break-downs match the up-to-date colour bridge? Is your artwork set-up correctly?
If you have the latest colour bridge book, you can make sure you are creating colours with the right 4 colour breakdown, as the book will give you the correct percentages of cmyk. In particular, if quark or indesign is suggesting the wrong break-down, you can manually change the colour in the file to get the best result.
A good way to check the final artwork, is to check the PDF in acrobat professional. See the tool: advanced > print production > output preview This gives you a tool to check colour breakdowns (and overprinting!).

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