---
title: Why does the Pantone color in my guide look different to another guide?
description: Why does the Pantone color in my guide look different to another guide?
---

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# Why does the Pantone color in my guide look different to another guide?

The likely cause is that the two guides were printed during different print runs. The visual color appearance can differ due to several possible variables, including paper composition and absorption, inks (pigment source, viscosity, and drying conditions), print variation due to ink metering, production speed, and environmental factors. These can lead to changes in lightness, hue and chroma. In particular, small changes in hue can have noticeable visual differences due to innate human sensitivity to hue changes.

Color variation can also occur over time as a result of handling, fading, improper storage, and light exposure, among other factors. Pantone recommends replacing guides and books every 12-18 months, as normal usage and exposure may render your colors inaccurate.

Applying the latest technology to our printing process enables us to standardize the consistency of visual appearance on our products from run to run, supported by metrics and color data.

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