Spot color printing. What is it?
Spot color is another print process widely used in the printing industry. This color printing process involves as few as one color of ink, or multiple colors of ink which are not necessarily primary colors. Generally, spot color inks, are comprised of specific color formulations to
produce one pre-mixed solid color that is designed to stand alone, rather than to blend with other inks to produce various shades or hues as with the CMYK process (a.k.a. full color, four color or process printing). CMYK printing creates colors by layering varying amounts of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black on ink-receivable substrates (vinyl, paper, canvas, etc.)
The range of spot color inks, much like paint, is practically unlimited and ultimately more varied than the four-color printing process. Spot colors are essentially pre-determined colors generated by an ink (pure or mixed) that are printed utilizing a single run format. When making a multi-color print using spot color inks, each pre-determined spot color requires it's own separate run.
The spot color process achieved in printing also transcends into the realm of cut vinyl lettering, decals and stickers. When producing lettering, decals, graphics or stickers using cut vinyl a specific vinyl color needs to be chosen, i.e. Red, Black, White, Blue etc. Once a spot color is chosen, a roll of that particular spot color vinyl can then be loaded onto a plotter printer, to be cut to specific shapes utilizing a digital "vector" file. The "vector" file is read by computer software and transmitted to the cutting blade on the plotter printer telling it exactly what shapes to cut out of the spot color vinyl material.
Spot color is also widely used in the screen-print process. In screen printing you will need to have a PMS color call-out to identify the "spot" color you will be using. PMS is short for Pantone Matching System. PMS color call-outs are obtained from a Pantone Color Chart and have specific numbers and letters assigned to them to identify their specific pre-mixed color. If you are not in the print industry and need access to a PMS or Pantone chart, you can purchase a Pantone Color Book or search for Pantone Color Charts online.
So, to wrap things up, SPOT COLOR is pre-mixed and pre-determined color that cannot be altered. While PROCESS COLOR is a combination of four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) that are mixed to achieve a variety of colors.