A designer sends over #FF5733. The print shop wants a Pantone number to load on press. No chip carries the exact value, so the real question is which chip lands nearest, how near, and what to write on the job ticket. The converter above answers all three.
How the nearest chip gets picked
Your hex value converts to CIELAB, a color space built around human vision, where equal distances look like equal differences. Every chip in the table goes through the same conversion. The CIEDE2000 formula then scores the gap between your color and each chip, and the lowest score wins.
Many converters skip the Lab step and measure straight-line distance between raw RGB numbers. RGB distance treats a shift in blue the same as a shift in green, though your eye reacts to green far more. The default color shows the problem.
| Method | Top pick for #FF5733 | Raw RGB gap | ΔE00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| RGB distance | Warm Red C | 22.9 | 6.09 |
| CIEDE2000 | 172 C | 34.0 | 3.98 |
Warm Red C wins on raw numbers. Set both chips beside #FF5733 and Warm Red C leans visibly redder, while 172 C holds the orange. A ranking built on RGB distance would hand your printer the weaker chip.
What the ΔE number means on paper
ΔE00 is a single number for "how different do these two colors look". Zero is identical. The verdict tag on the proof card maps the score to the bands below.
| ΔE00 | Verdict | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 1.0 | Indistinguishable | Specify the chip. |
| 1.0 to 2.0 | Close match | Trained eyes spot the gap only with both colors touching. |
| 2.0 to 3.5 | Visible side by side | Fine for most brand print. Approve on a press proof. |
| 3.5 to 6.0 | Clear difference | Compare a physical chip with the screen color before sign-off. |
| Above 6.0 | Different color | Choose a chip by eye, or ask for a custom ink mix. |
Packaging buyers often write a pass mark between 2 and 3 into supplier specs, measured against the approved standard. Use the same yardstick here. A chip above 3.5 is a judgment call, not a match.
Five brand colors, five outcomes
The Brand palette tab opens with a small five-color palette. Here is what comes back with both books switched on.
| Hex | Nearest chip | ΔE00 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
#F59E0B | 137 C | 1.92 | Close match |
#808080 | Cool Gray 9 C | 3.88 | Clear difference |
#FF5733 | 172 C | 3.98 | Clear difference |
#1F3B57 | 2955 C | 4.11 | Clear difference |
#10B981 | Green C | 5.40 | Clear difference |
- The amber passes. Yellows and oranges sit densely in the Pantone book, so a hex in the warm range usually finds a chip under 2.
- The neutral grey misses. #808080 is a dead neutral. Cool Gray 9 C runs a little darker and carries a faint blue cast, and the Lab math picks up the tint even when a quick glance does not.
- The navy and the teal-green fall between chips. 2955 C reads more saturated than #1F3B57. #10B981 is brighter and more vivid than Green C, and the Emerald TCX chip runs darker still. Both colors are candidates for a custom mix if they carry the brand.
When the closest chip still misses
Type #00FF00 and the best result is 375 C at a ΔE00 of 12.55. Screen green sits outside the range of every standard chip here, and the table holds no fluorescent inks. A score this high means the converter found the least wrong option, nothing more. You have three honest routes.
- Accept the nearest chip and change the screen value to the chip's own hex, so web and print agree with each other.
- Ask the printer to mix a custom ink to a drawdown of your color. Most shops do this for a fee and give the mix a job number.
- Print in process color and check the build with the HEX to CMYK converter. CMYK reaches fewer saturated greens than spot ink, so expect a duller result.
Wording for the print shop
The Copy spec line button on the proof card produces one line in this format:
Pantone 172 C (Solid Coated), nearest chip to #FF5733, ΔE00 3.98Paste the line into the job ticket or brand sheet. Three habits keep the conversation short:
- Lead with the chip code. The printer mixes ink to the code. The hex is reference only.
- Name the book. 172 C and 172 U are different colors on press. Uncoated stock absorbs ink and dries lighter.
- Ask for a drawdown or press proof on the real stock. A ΔE score compares screen values. Paper, coating and lighting decide the final look.
Limits of this converter
The match table holds 173 chips: 145 Solid Coated and 28 Fashion TCX, the codes most often quoted in brand guides and print quotes. The licensed Pantone system runs past 2,100 solid colors, so a closer chip outside this set, especially in the 7000 series, is a real possibility.
- No uncoated (U), metallic, pastel or neon chips. Each of those books behaves differently on paper, and a guessed value would mislead more than a missing one.
- Chip colors are published sRGB references, not spectral readings. ΔE here compares two screen colors, not your hex against wet ink.
- Your monitor shifts both halves of the proof card by the same amount, so the comparison holds even on an uncalibrated screen. The absolute color does not.
Already holding a Pantone code and need the screen value? The Pantone to HEX converter reads the same table in reverse, so the two tools agree on every chip.