What is a difference between CMYK and Pantone colours?
CMYK- is a four colour process printing technique, widely used in home printers and even industrial printing.
Pros: relatively less expensive; can print in unlimited amount of colours; can be printed on a home computer.
Cons: colours are not very sharp; printed colours almost always will be in different shades (very hard to control the lightness and saturation of the colours each time it is printed); requires a lot of printer calibration; is limited to a less heavy paper stock.
Conclusion: CMYK is preferable for printing in more than 3 colours. It works best for home and office printing, but is not the best solution for professionally printed stationery.
Pantone – is a spot colour printing technique, only used in professional print shops.
Pros: colors are very sharp and always accurate for every printing; can be printed in very large quantities; can be printed on heavy paper stock and multiple paper surfaces.
Cons: Not the cheapest solution, as it gets very expensive if used more than 3 colors; not suitable for home office printing.
Conclusion: This is the most recommended printing technique for printing high-quality professional stationery; not good for home printing.