Guide: Using Color Codes

A color code is just the number or name assigned to a color within a color matching system. There are as many different types of color matching systems as there are applications for color, but here we’ll just focus on the four most common systems:

• Pantone Matching System (PMS)
  PMS is the most common color system for professional printers’ inks. If you’re dealing with a printer that uses spot colors, such as those used by screen printers for clothing, you’ll most likely want the PMS code.
• Hexadecimal (Hex)
  Hex codes are used mainly on the web, but increasingly in other places, too. They’re great for coding since they’re compact. If someone asks for a color code, but does not specify what kind, they probably want the Hex code.
• Red, Green, Blue (RGB)
  RGB colors are used whenever a computer, television screen, or projector makes an image. The three values tell the device how bright to make the red, green, and blue diodes inside each pixel that mix to make a color.
• Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (CMYK)
  CMYK is how most printers (except for those mentioned above that use spot colors) mix ink. It’s also known as four color process, since each of the four colors (key stands for black) are mixed on the page to produce color.

To help you communicate exactly the right colors to anyone on your team, color codes for each of these systems are detailed on the Colors page.

How are color codes used in common applications?

Microsoft Word 2016
To use a custom color in Word, click on the font color icon under the home tab. Choose “more colors” and a picker will appear with a drop down menu allowing you to choose RGB sliders or CMYK sliders, each of which have fields for inputting Hex codes toward the bottom of the window.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2016
To use a custom color in PowerPoint, click on the font color icon under the home tab. Choose “more colors” and a picker will appear with a drop down menu allowing you to choose RGB sliders, or CMYK sliders each of which have field for inputting Hex codes toward the bottom of the window.

Google Docs
To use a custom color in Google Docs, click on the font color icon in the toolbar. Choose “custom” and a picker will appear with a field to input Hex codes at the top.

Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)
In adobe creative suite programs, double click on any color swatch to access the color picker, which features inputs for RGB, CMYK, and Hex color codes. The process is almost identical for most Creative Suite programs such as Photoshop, Indesign, and Illustrator.