About color cards: a color card is the expression of natural colors on a certain material (such as paper, fabric or plastic), used for color selection, comparison and communication, and is a tool for unifying color standards within a certain range.

As professionals working with color, these standard color cards are a must-know:

1. PANTONE: the Pantone color card is probably the color card most frequently used by textile, printing and dyeing professionals. Pantone, headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, USA, is an authoritative institution specializing in the research and development of color, and a supplier of color systems. It provides professional color selection and a precise communication language for many industries, including printing, digital technology, textiles, plastics, architecture and interior design.

Pantone was acquired in 1962 by Lawrence Herbert, chairman, president and CEO, when it was a small company making color cards for cosmetics companies. Herbert launched the first PANTONE Matching System in 1963, and the system has since become the global standard for color communication.

2. Other standard color cards: the China Textile Standard Color Card (GB standards), the SCOTDIC system used in textile dyeing, and the RAL system used in industry and coating. Each has its own application range; textile dyeing commonly uses PANTONE Textile (Fashion, Home + Interiors) and SCOTDIC for sample matching.

3. Usage notes: color cards are affected by light source, material and storage; match colors under a standard light source (e.g. D65), avoid long exposure to sunlight, and replace worn cards in time to keep the standard accurate.