Expanded Pantone Mixing Bases – Precision Colors for Letterpress & Printmaking

Expand your printmaking palette with the newer Pantone mixing bases. These nine vibrant bases — PY-12 Yellow, Orange 016, Purple V2, Violet V2, Real Purple, Bright Red, Pink, Medium Purple, and Dark Blue — are formulated to provide precise, reliable color control while maintaining the tactile qualities printmakers value.

Each base is a hybrid ink: it stays open on the press like a rubber-based ink, allowing for easy manipulation, blending, and layering, yet dries hard like an oil-based ink for crisp impressions and durable prints. Whether printing solids, fine type, or multiple layers, these bases offer consistent coverage, strong pigmentation, and excellent opacity on coated, uncoated, cotton, or specialty papers.

Why Printmakers Love Them:

• Handling: Smooth rollout, low tack, stays open for long sessions.

• Print Quality: Crisp impressions with vibrant, true-to-tone colors.

• Drying & Finish: Dries hard and smudge-resistant while retaining surface texture.

• Mixing Versatility: Perfect for creating custom blends for layered or nuanced prints.

• Studio Benefits: Consistent results, long shelf life, and easy cleanup.

Ideal for letterpress, relief, block printing, and other fine printmaking processes, these new Pantone bases give you expanded creative freedom while delivering professional, reliable results every time.