Reference beats description
A Pantone number, a physical swatch or an existing box tells us exactly what you want. A word does not — burgundy covers a range wide enough to include two colours nobody would put side by side.
Send the reference at quotation. Matching to a description and correcting later costs more than getting it right at the start.
What matches exactly and what is close
Printed ink on paper or board matches a Pantone reference closely. Dyed textile — velvet, suede, leatherette — matches to a tolerance, because the dye sits on a fibre rather than on a flat surface.
We will tell you which of these you are dealing with before you approve anything.
Dye lots
Textile is dyed in lots. Two lots of the same colour are close but not identical, and that difference is visible when boxes from different runs sit together on a shelf.
The way round it is to order the full quantity in one run rather than in instalments. Where a repeat order matters, tell us and we will keep a retained swatch from your run to match against.
Different materials, same colour
The same reference on velvet and on a paper bag will not read the same, because one absorbs light and the other reflects it. Matching a set means matching by eye across the materials, not by number.
Ordering the box, bag and card together is what makes the set look like a set.
Approve on a physical sample
A colour on a screen is not a colour. Approve on the physical sample under the light your shop actually uses, not under a desk lamp.
At a glance
| Material | How closely it matches |
|---|---|
| Printed board or paper | Very close to Pantone |
| Leatherette | Close, matched by eye |
| Velvet and suede | Matched to a tolerance, dye-lot variation applies |
| Foil | A metallic range, not a Pantone |
Frequently asked questions
Can you match a Pantone exactly?
On printed board or paper, very closely. On dyed textile it is matched by eye to a tolerance, because dye behaves differently from ink.
Will a repeat order be the same colour?
Close, not identical, if it is a different dye lot. Ordering the full quantity in one run avoids the question.
Can you match a box I already have?
Yes. Send it and we will match against the physical item, which is more reliable than a number.
Will the box, bag and card match?
Best if they are made in one run. Across materials, colour is matched by eye rather than by a single number.
Tell us what you need
Tell us what you are making and what it has to hold. We’ll tell you what it takes and send one clear, all-in quote.