"Pantone" process inks vs "standard" process inks

[Werby]

What exactly is the difference between Pantone Process Inks (PANTONE Process Cyan, PANTONE Process Megenta, PANTONE Process Yellow, PANTONE Process Black) and "standard" CMYK process inks? I work with a designer who insists her work should be printed with Pantone Process inks, not "Standard CMYK". She is under the impression that Pantone Process inks will produce a wider gamut or will reporoduce "better" in some way. My understanding has always been that a CMYK image will look the same with either "kind" of inks.

I had actually made this inquiry of Pantone a couple years ago, and they supported my position that there isn't any such thing as "pantone process inks" and that the shading for all CMYK primaries is governed under ISO 2846-1. However, not only does the designer persist in her belief that these are different inks, she has 2 different printers and another vendor who agree with her and insist that printing with "pantone process" produces better results than standard CMYK. One of the printers said they mix their own "pantone process inks." Is this really a thing? Is it perhaps just a higher quality ink? Does anybody know what they are talking about?​

 

[Correct Color]

Does anybody know what they are talking about?

Sure. Lots of people know what they're talking about.

Just not these people.

It does so happen that in large format inkjet printing, there are several different versions of CMY and K. But in litho, as you say, if you buy a can of whatever from whoever, it'd better match the ISO standard.

And even if not, fact is that some pretty different primaries can get you to exactly the same result. It's not in the ink, it's in the profiles and the process.

 

[Werby]

This is actually flexo printing for bottle wraps, usually on white or clear poly. Does that matter?