The new Pantone SkinTone Guide is the first scientifically based guide for matching and reproducing lifelike skin tones. More than 1,000 human skin measurements were collected from participants across a diverse range of ethnicities and age groups to create the guide.
To ensure a universally precise sample, several high-end X-Rite spectrophotometers and Pantone Capsure were used to measure skin samples. Based on these measurements, Pantone established an accurate skin color space and created the Pantone SkinTone Library, which defines the 110 most reproducible colors.
"The semi-translucent nature of skin makes measuring and reproducing skin tones in print and manufacturing an extremely challenging process," commented Giovanni Marra, director of corporate marketing at Pantone. "By starting with actual skin tones and working back to define a SkinTone color space, we were able to catalog the most realistic and reproducible skin tones.
In most other color palettes, the color 'nude' is unfortunately relegated to a few skin colors, but in reality, nature has given us a multitude of beautiful shades of skin. From print, packaging and healthcare to fashion, cosmetics and toy production, the new SkinTone Guide will help companies produce more authentic products in a broader skin tone range."
The SkinTone Guide features 110, 1.75" x 7" pages, each dedicated to its own SkinTone shade for more accurate visualization. All pages include a small circular cutout so users can hold the guide over the particular skin sample being matched, easing evaluation and improving accuracy. The SkinTone Guide is arranged from light to dark and utilizes an alpha-numeric numbering system that represents both the tone and undertone of each color - from 1Y01 SP (the lightest yellow tone) to 4R15 SP (the reddest tone).