One aspect of commercial printing that still causes a great deal of misunderstanding and confusion in the general public is the difference between a spot color and 4-color process color. Today, we’ll attempt to bring some clarity as to what it means in the printing industry to print with spot colors.
What does “color” mean to a commercial printer?
To most humans with non-impaired vision, the term color references different wavelengths of light that are perceived as having distinct qualities that distinguish them from other wavelengths of light. We assign names to these perceptions (e.g., red, green, blue, yellow, orange, purple, etc.) and we recognize a wide spectrum of colors that consist of combinations of the various wavelengths of light. In the printing industry, color has a more specialized and limited meaning. In essence, color is used as a synonym for ink. When a commercial printer refers to a project as being, for example, a 2-color or 4-color, they are saying they will be using respectively 2 inks and 4 inks to produce the printed piece.
What is a Spot Color?
A spot color is an ink color that has been: 1) manufactured as a specific primary color (blue, red, yellow) or a secondary color (green, orange, purple); 2) obtained by mixing a combination of these primary and secondary colored inks (along with black) to create an intermediary colored ink. For spot colors, the printing industry uses a system (developed by the Pantone corporation) to define standardized primary/secondary colors of ink and standardized colors obtained by mixing those inks in various proportions according to set formulas. Paint manufacturers use a similar standardized system. When choosing a paint to coat your living room wall at your local paint store, the color you pick, unless it’s offered as a stand alone color, will be obtained by mixing colors of paint together.
Why are some Spot Colors more expensive than others?
Most printers maintain and offer certain spot colors (inks) at no additional cost. However, if a job requires the use of a specific PMS (Pantone Matching System) color, there’s likely to be a charge for mixing and matching that ink color specification.
If you have any questions about spot color, give us a call. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
