Why Don't More Firms Use GOE?
A contributing factor is its absence from industry standard layout applications.
By Hal Hinderliter -- Graphic Arts Online, November 1, 2009
Pantone Goe System
Designers often describe their work as “innovative concepts” that can “push the envelope,” so breaking with tradition should be instinctual. This makes it surprising that ad agencies and design studios have failed to embrace Pantone's GOE color specification system.
Introduced in September 2007, GOE offers an expanded gamut of 2,058 spot colors (up from 1,114 colors in the previous PMS system) in a redesigned swatchbook, organized by a new numbering system. Press operators will appreciate that all GOE colors are coating-friendly, and the entire color range is formulated to print uniform ink film thickness. With more colors presented in a more logical sequence, this 21st-century replacement for the 46-year-old Pantone Matching System is a “no-brainer” that has turned out to be a non-starter.
“I have not had one customer ask for it,” explains Raphael Horvath, owner of commercial printer Action Graphics. “A good portion of our client base is very specific about their brand appearance, and they always use the Pantone Matching System.”
Resistance to change may be part of the problem, but a contributing factor is the absence of GOE within industry-standard layout applications. Fortunately, the Pantone website offers a free installer that will insert GOE swatchbooks into either current or older versions of Adobe Creative Suite as well as QuarkXPress 7 and 8. Printed fan GOEGuides (on coated or uncoated stocks) and GOEBridge guides (for spot-to-process conversions) can be purchased online for $99 each, or users can opt for the GOE System package that contains a swatchbook, GOESticks adhesive-backed reusable color chips and a CD containing the GOE digital libraries for both QuarkXPress and the Adobe Creative Suite.
“We're committed to making GOE work,” says Andy Hatkoff, Pantone VP OEM and technology licensing. “But we didn't discontinue PMS; the two continue to live in a concurrent universe.” Hatkoff knows unseating a product with the longevity of PMS will not occur overnight. “It's like pushing a big rock up a hill,” he admits, “but we've done the right things, technically speaking. Now, it's about helping people understand GOE's many advantages.”
As this nascent color system attains wider adoption, ink vendors will be required to support both the classic PMS formulations, as well as the new GOE inks. Fortunately, that job is made easy by GOE's smaller base set: only 10 inks (plus clear) are required, versus 16 base colors used for PMS inks. Pantone also improved the stability of its new offering by eliminating the use of Reflex Blue (incompatible with coatings, subject to bronzing) and Rhodamine Red (tends to burn out quickly). These attributes make GOE attractive to ink vendors, who welcome a transition to this modern ink set.
One designer who favors GOE is Debra Rizzi, partner at RizCo Design. “It's more streamlined, its smarter,” says Rizzi. “I'm constantly trying to find a different palette to work with that is fresh, so the fact that it's organized better definitely helps.”
Rizzi is implementing GOE on a number of projects, including a 100+ page manual to celebrate the UN's International World Water Week. “For eco-conscious clients, the elimination of Rhodamine Red and Reflex Blue is a big plus,” she says.
This new color specification system's benefits are substantial, but as yet print providers have failed to encourage clients to abandon PMS books. Pantone may feel that the time for change has come, but apparently the designers will have to GOE first.
