Hex to Pantone Converter
Paste a hex code and get the three closest Pantone Solid Coated inks, with a real match percentage for each one. Built by a working screen printing shop, not a color chart.
Enter a 3 or 6 character hex code.
#000000
RGB 0, 0, 0
Match percentages are calculated in CIELAB using the CIEDE2000 color difference formula against published sRGB values for the Pantone Solid Coated library. Screens emit light and ink reflects it, so an on screen match is a starting point. Always confirm critical brand colors against a physical Pantone guide before we print. PANTONE® is a registered trademark of Pantone LLC. This tool is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pantone LLC.
How to use it
- Open your logo in Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva, or your brand guide, and copy the hex code for the color you want printed.
- Paste it into the box above. The results update as you type, so there is no button to press.
- Note the closest Pantone code. Send it with your artwork when you place the order and we will mix that ink.
If you are printing more than one color, run each one separately. Every ink gets its own screen, so every color needs its own Pantone number.
What the match percentage means
The percentage is not a guess. Your hex code and every Pantone color are both converted into CIELAB, a color space built to mirror how human vision works, and compared using the CIEDE2000 formula. That is the same math color scientists and quality control labs use to decide whether two samples match.
| Match | What you will see on the shirt |
|---|---|
| 99 to 100% | Identical. Nobody can tell the difference, including you. |
| 95 to 98% | Excellent. Indistinguishable unless you hold the two side by side. |
| 90 to 94% | Very close. A designer might spot a slight shift. |
| 80 to 89% | Same color family, but visibly different. Worth a conversation before we print. |
| Below 80% | No Pantone ink really covers your color. Usually a neon, a metallic, or a very saturated screen color. |
Why a screen color can never be an exact ink
Your monitor makes color by emitting light. Ink makes color by absorbing light and reflecting what is left. Those are opposite processes, and a lot of what a screen can display simply has no ink equivalent. Bright greens, electric blues, and anything that glows on screen are the usual offenders. That is why this tool tells you how close the match is instead of pretending every color has a perfect Pantone number.
Which Pantone library this uses
Matches come from the Pantone Solid Coated library, all 1,390 inks including the named colors like Reflex Blue, Warm Red, and the Cool Gray series. Solid Coated is the standard reference for screen printing ink mixing, so every code this tool returns is an ink we can actually mix and print. Metallics and specialty inks are quoted separately, so ask us directly if that is the look you are after.
Working with textiles instead of ink? Garment mills quote color in Pantone TPX or TCX, which is a separate system. Send us the code and we will translate it.
Need this color on a shirt?
Send us your art and the Pantone number. We will confirm the match against a physical guide before anything hits the press.