Do these reds & pinks shift on uncoated stock?

Yes. Uncoated fibres absorb the ink, so it generally reads softer and less saturated. Judge the physical chip that matches your stock.

Can I get these reds & pinks on dark paper?

Standard offset and letterpress inks are translucent. For light colour on dark paper, choose opaque foil or a suitable screen-printing pass instead.

Can you match one of these in CMYK instead?

Sometimes. A process approximation may suit imagery, but large flat brand colours show the difference more clearly. Compare the physical references for the chosen stock.

Why does a bright red become brick-like on cotton?

Absorbent fibres and the paper’s own warmth change the reading. Use an uncoated physical chip, not the coated red in a brand guideline, when choosing for cotton.

Pantone reds and pinks we print

The hardest family to hold across stocks. Reds go warm and dusty on uncoated, and the deep magentas are the classic CMYK failure case.

On-screen approximation: not a colour-accurate reference. Match to a physical PANTONE® chip before you sign off.

Reds & pinks spot ink on glass beside paper drawdowns

On our stocks

Reds and pinks soften on cotton, while coated white keeps their saturated edge. Coloured paper can warm or mute them; opaque foil is the better choice for a pale pink mark on a dark sheet.

What to know before you specify one

The same ink is not the same colour on the two stocks. On coated sheets the ink sits on a sealed surface: denser, brighter, sharper edges. On uncoated the fibres absorb it: softer, duller, slightly lighter, and warm colours lose the most punch. Some colours change character outright: brights go chalky, deep navies go grey-blue.
Offset and letterpress inks are translucent. On a dark or coloured stock a light ink will not cover: it sinks into the sheet and reads tone-on-tone. For light colour on dark paper the answer is foil stamping or an opaque screen pass, never a straight PMS hit.

Colours with a full write-up

Common questions

Do these reds & pinks shift on uncoated stock?: Yes. Uncoated fibres absorb the ink, so it generally reads softer and less saturated. Judge the physical chip that matches your stock.
Can I get these reds & pinks on dark paper?: Standard offset and letterpress inks are translucent. For light colour on dark paper, choose opaque foil or a suitable screen-printing pass instead.
Can you match one of these in CMYK instead?: Sometimes. A process approximation may suit imagery, but large flat brand colours show the difference more clearly. Compare the physical references for the chosen stock.
Why does a bright red become brick-like on cotton?: Absorbent fibres and the paper’s own warmth change the reading. Use an uncoated physical chip, not the coated red in a brand guideline, when choosing for cotton.

PANTONE® is a registered trademark of Pantone LLC. Print Peppermint is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pantone LLC. Codes are referenced to identify the inks we print.

We've printed on this

Peppermint design exploration

One brief, twelve design movements: the same 24 days, built the way each era would have built them, from papers and foils we actually stock.

Read the project