What in the world? Exact same colors displays darker on new CC document.

Question

Looking at the screen shot - the color on the left is the PMS color I've been using for a client. I just switched to CC and now when I use the exact same PMS color it shows up looking like the window on the right (darker). I've double checked that both docs are setup CMYK. What in the world is going on?

Answer 1

That 874C is a metallic ink and is very difficult to render on-screen and in a digital proof.  Neither your lighter version nor the darker version render halfway decently to a swatchbook, unfortunately.  The darker one is a better choice viewing on-screen.  The deception is and always has been that colors on-screen will print darker.  So, if the preview color on-screen is already darker, then it will print darker and therefore, hypothetically, will never be where it is supposed to be in a proofing environment.  It seems they've compounded an already existing problem in favor of a new softproofing workflow.  Big mistake.
The 167...same thing.  The darker screen shot appears closer to my Pantone Spot color swatchbook.  I would be interested in knowing how you guys proofed the jobs and what the differences are in a proof workflow.  I suspect my theory will hold up.  Again, historically since monitor color was invented, prints and/or proofs always appear darker.  So, users have been accustomed to the lighter screen color vs. the darker and more accurate print / proof color.
Now, if for some reason I am wrong, then Pantone and Adobe have solved the differences between transmissive color vs. reflective color, plus lighting differences and the inherent differences in everyone's monitors, and the differences in paper Whiteness.  Pure genius and scientifically improbable.
Message was edited by: John Danek