Reds & pinks · spot ink
PMS 186 C
Pantone® 186 Coated — PANTONE 186 on coated stock
Translucent — will not cover dark stock. Printers write it PMS 186 C; brand guidelines usually write it Pantone® 186 Coated. Same ink, same plate — the letter is the paper it lands on. On uncoated stock the same colour is PMS 186 U, and it does not look the same.
- Classic corporate red
- Single-colour letterpress
On-screen approximation — not a colour-accurate reference. Match to a physical PANTONE® chip before you sign off.
Coated vs uncoated, honestly
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.
| Stock | Reference | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Coated | 186 C | Denser and brighter. Ink sits on a sealed surface, edges stay sharp. |
| Uncoated | 186 U | Softer and less saturated. Fibres absorb the ink; expect a step down in punch. |
How it behaves in production
- The default 'proper red'. On uncoated it warms and dusts down about a step — closer to a brick than a pillar box.
- Solid coverage in 186 on textured uncoated stock is a genuinely hard press job. Expect a little mottling; that is the sheet, not a defect.
On dark stock
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.
See the foil directoryThe paper matters as much as the ink
A CMYK build of a spot colour is an approximation, not the colour. It matters most on large flat solids, on brand-critical marks, and in the brights and deep blues where process simply cannot reach. It matters least in small type and inside photography.
Browse the paper directoryCommon questions
- What does PANTONE 186 look like on uncoated paper?
- Softer, duller and a touch lighter than the coated chip. Uncoated fibres absorb the ink instead of letting it sit on a sealed surface, so saturation drops across the board. The uncoated swatch here is modelled from the coated approximation — order a printed sample before you sign off.
- Can you print PANTONE 186 on dark or coloured stock?
- Not as a standard ink hit. PANTONE 186 is translucent, so on dark stock the paper colour comes through and the result is tone-on-tone. For this colour on dark paper we foil stamp or run an opaque screen instead.
- Can PANTONE 186 be matched in CMYK?
- A process build lands close on coated and consistently under-saturates on uncoated.
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.
Pairs beautifully with
Three combinations that hold up on press. Open one and the Studio starts with the stock, the foil and the ink already locked in.
PANTONE 186 on Brushed metal
PANTONE 186 on Brushed metal. Ink is translucent: on a cool silver sheet the printed colour shifts toward the paper. Sign off against a printed sample, not the chip.
Compatibility matrix
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PANTONE 186 on Wild Brown
PANTONE 186 on Wild Brown. Ink is translucent: on a warm chocolate brown sheet the printed colour shifts toward the paper. Sign off against a printed sample, not the chip.
Compatibility matrix
Start this combinationPANTONE 186 on Black uncoated 32pt
PANTONE 186 on Black uncoated 32pt. Ink is translucent: on a black sheet the printed colour shifts toward the paper. Sign off against a printed sample, not the chip.
Compatibility matrix
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