Pantone began as a commercial printing company in the 1950s. In 1956, they hired recent Hofstra University graduate Lawrence Herbert as a part-time employee. Herbert used his chemistry knowledge to systematize and simplify the company’s stock of pigments and production of coloredinks.
By 1962, Herbert was running the ink and printing division at a profit, he subsequently purchased the company’s technological assets from his employers and renamed them « Pantone ».
The idea behind the PMS is to allow designers to « color match » specific colors when a design enters production stage, regardless of the equipment used to produce the color. This system has been widely adopted by graphic designers and reproduction and printing houses. Pantone recommends that PMS Color Guides be purchased annually, as their inks become yellowish over time.
