Resource for Tartan Pantone Colors

[cavscout]

A quick search of the forum found a few hits about pantone colors but I didn't see a resource to identify the pantone color of a tartan.

I'm looking for the pantone color code for the Fraser Hunting Tartan in Ancient or Modern (Weathered also if possible )

Little help?

[The Wizard of BC]

Unfortunately the Tartan weaving industry has not caught up with new fangled things like Pantone numbers.

Those were originally designed for paint and printing ink.

I'm afraid that you will have to settle for in fabric dyes are descriptions like Dk Green and Blue.

And even then it is not the same from one weaver to another.

I have many samples in my shop of the same Tartan from thee different weaving companies and they are completely different. All were listed as the same version so we are not even talking about the Mod-Anc-Weth- version thing.

[Smayniac]

Actually Steve, it's even less complete; Pantone is an ink system. When I go to match Pantone colors in paint, I have to send my swatch card to the paint store to be matched by the magic machine. The chip is only barely big enough and that swatch book is several hundred dollars.

The other option is to hire a scenic artist who matches the paint by eye.

When I'm contracting to paint scenery, I always insist the designer send me an approved printout of the art that we can match to.

Bob

[cavscout]

Hmmmm, looks like it may just be better to use a swatch for color matching than to chase this down.

[ShaunMaxwell]

Steve:

I agree with the above, but there is a way, albeit probably not a very accurate way, to get a Pantone approximation...

I went to the STA website and pulled the image into Photoshop, used the Eyedropper Tool to sample the various colors, then chose Color Libraries and selected PANTONE solid coated.

I know this isn't ideal, as the image is RGB, but it yielded the following: Red = 485 c, Blue = 2745 c, Brown = 1405 c, Green = 364 c and white for white.

This is from STA site listing for Fraser of Lovat Htg (Clan)



Next, I copied the Fraser Hunting Ancient from the tartans gallery at USA Kilts and did the same. The results were quite different: Red = 172 c, Blue = 7475 c, Brown = 732 c, Green = 364 c and white for white.



I know those are a bit iffy, but it should give you something to start with. Hope it will help!

[tyger]

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix here, as I have found out over time, and most recently in my persuit of County Galway tartan. The ONLY way to know the true colors is to get a swatch of fabric from the mill that will weave your tartan.

Yep, even in fly tying there is a color system that tells one what color of green to use as hackle, but in tartans.......we will have to wait.

That is why on a previous post I queried, then suggested, a simple automated way of seeing a tartan pleated to sett, and to stripe. Very simple, yet not available right now.

Steve, you are a computer guru......this could be your calling!

[The Wizard of BC]

to give you an example of the problem facing you with trying to match colors of Tartan here are two examples of the exact same Tartan woven by two different weaving mills.



this is the USMC Leatherneck Tartan.
The upper sample was woven by D.C. Dalgleish.
the lower sample was woven by Strathmore.






And these are two samples of the Victoria, City of Gardens Tartan that I designed for my adopted city.

The top was woven by D.C. Dalgleish.
The lower was woven by Marton Mills.

And here is the official Scottish Tartans Authority image for the same tartan.




And don't even get me started on the X Marks Tartan.

[blackbeard]

That is why on a previous post I queried, then suggested, a simple automated way of seeing a tartan pleated to sett, and to stripe. Very simple, yet not available right now.

Unfortunately that doesn't work.

I did just that with my clan tartan. I made a computer sample of the tartan pleated to the stripe and thought “Well that looks pretty good.” When I actually purchased the cloth and sample pinned it, I realized that the black stripe that I was planning on using when woven with the green of the under check turned dark grayish green and when viewed from 10 feet away it disappeared into the background. I ended up pleating it to the sett.

You just have to bite the bullet and order a swatch.

[cavscout]

Thanks Lads.

Shaun, that's perfect actually. I don't need to be exact but as long as the tones are close. Funny though, I stumbled onto to a pantone color chart site and just sort of eye-balled the colors and came up with the exact colors you did for Red and Green

Thanks again lads.

[tyger]

Unfortunately that doesn't work.

Oh yes it dies (would)! You simply need to know how to tell the computer to do what you want it to do.

I have instructed computers to write what I speak, and see and measure and compute things that I see, so these color and pleat tasks really would be child's play, for one who would commit the time and resources to actually doing it.