Pantone has announced Pantone Plus, the next generation of the Pantone Matching System. Enhancements include the chromatic arrangement of colors for more intuitive selection, an expanded palette of spot colors, the addition of new premium metallics and a broader range of neons.
 
Pantone Color Manager Software, available free-of-charge with every Plus Series purchase, lets designers update their favorite design applications with the new Plus Series Color Libraries. An added feature allows users to convert spot colors to CMYK simulations based on loaded ICC profiles. Creatives can also access the entire Pantone Plus Series from their iPhones with the myPantone iPhone application. Additionally, with the myPantone X-Ref iPhone application, designers can easily cross-reference all Pantone Color Libraries.
 
All guides in the Plus Series include a ColorChecker Lighting Indicator to instantly show whether current lighting conditions are suitable for color evaluation. All books in the Plus Series are printed on text-weight paper to more closely reflect the majority of printed work today and meet certification standards set forth by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an independent organization that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests, says Ron Potesky, senior vice president and general manager of Pantone.

The Formula Guide and Solid Chips introduce 224 new solid colors for a total of 1,341 colors. The new colors are formulated with the same 14 ink bases that were the foundation of the Pantone Matching System.

The new CMYK guide offers a smoother progression of 2,886 CMYK colors for four-color process printing, according to Potesky. The guide is printed with bio-friendly ISO-certified inks using a digital workflow within ISO specifications and G7 processes, but on optically brightened paper, allowing for a single version that is suitable for worldwide use, he adds.
 
The Pantone Plus Series products are available immediately and can be purchased from the Pantone web site (http://www.Pantone.com) or from Pantone resellers worldwide. Color Bridge will be available in June. Through the Pantone Chip-in Program, customers can trade in old Pantone Products and receive a rebate to help offset the cost of upgrading to Pantone Plus.
 
Every Plus Series purchase includes Color Manager Software free-of-charge upon registration. The public beta version of Color Manager will be available next month to registered users. Pantone Plus Digital Libraries for Adobe and Quark will also be available in June free-of-charge to anyone wanting to update their favorite software with the new Plus Series colors. 
 
myPantone and X-Ref are available for download at the Apple App Store for US$9.99 and $1.99 respectively. myPantone and X-Ref are compatible with iPhone OS 3.0 or higher, and can be used on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Automatic updates to the applications including the new Pantone Plus Series Color Libraries will be available in June.