PANTONE neons & fluorescents (801–814) we print

What to know before you specify one

• Fluorescents fade. UV exposure kills them in months in a window, years in a drawer. They also cannot be matched in CMYK — there is no process build that reaches them, so a neon is a spot ink or it is nothing.
• 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.

Common questions

Do these neons & fluorescents (801–814) shift on uncoated stock?

Yes. Every one of them. On uncoated the fibres absorb the ink, so the colour lands softer, duller and slightly lighter than the coated chip. Judge the colour on the chip that matches your stock, not on the one that looks best.

Can I get these neons & fluorescents (801–814) on dark paper?

Not as a standard ink hit. Offset and letterpress inks are translucent, so on dark stock the colour underneath wins. For light colour on dark paper we foil stamp or run an opaque screen pass instead.

Can you match one of these in CMYK instead?

No. Fluorescents are outside the process gamut entirely — there is no four-colour build that reaches them. A neon is a spot ink or it is not a neon.

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.