pageoneresults - 4:25 pm on May 3, 2006 (gmt 0)

But your reference to having clients choose 186 Red for one stock and 185 for another is precisely why Pantone makes little sense for the web: you only get one color.

True. But, at least you have a starting point based on the RGB/Hex values provided by Pantone for that particular spot color. And, since we are dealing with monitors, the coated sRGB color space is the preferred model from Pantone for just this reason.

Yes, monitors are going to be your biggest factor in color. Even if you are viewing on a press ready monitor that is calibrated, the colors are never going to be the same across the spectrum of viewing devices. That is why it is imperative to specify to the client that colors on screen are an approximation only.

When I switched from my CRT Monitor to an LCD Monitor, the difference in colors was dramatic. Due to the backlighting of LCD screens, colors become more vibrant and refined. It is a rather shocking difference to many who have switched.

When it comes to working with color, each one of us is going to have a different perspective. Since I started off in traditional print media, the Pantone Formula Guide has been a reference for me since 1990. When we go live with a new client site, we've taken their Illustrator designed logo and have converted it using the hex values as specified in the Pantone coated sRGB color space. We then create our color palette from there usually working with 2, 3 or 4 primary colors.

There is really nothing wrong with using Pantone for the web as long as you are using the correct sRGB color space.