To Use or Not to Use: Spot Colors or Process Colors or Both???

Most color print projects use either sport colors or porcess colors. It’s quite general knowledge that a couple of spot colors cost less thatn four-color or process color printing. Still, when you are inclined to use full-color photos, the only option you can have is that of process colors…Meanwhile, some full color printing projects need to use both process color s and spot colors to finish the print job successfully.

Do you know how to identify when to use spot colors or process colors? Or when to use both? It would save you from a lot of rejects and wasted budget when you know which is more suitable to use.

It is ideal to use spot colors, like Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors when:
-your printing job has no full-color photographs involved and requires only one or two colors. This includes one spot color and black.
-your publication needs a color or colors that can’t be accurately reproduced using CMYK inks. This may be the color matching for your corporate or logo color.
-there is a requirement of one specific color to be printed over multiple pages consistently.
-color printing is over a large area, like poster or banners, since spot color inks provide more even coverage on this aspect.
-the printing project needs more vibrant colors than what CMYK inks produce.
-there is a need for special effects like metallic or fluorescent spot inks.

On the other hand, it is preferable to use process colors or CMYK when:
-full-color photographs shall be used
-your publication has multi-color graphics that would require many ink colors to reproduce with spot colors
-the printing job nees more than two spot colors. Actually, if you check with your printer, you might find that process color printing would be less expensive than using three or more spot colors.

It is but required to use both spot colors and process colors when:
-your publication has full-color photographs that must also incorporate specific spot colors from the PMS and cannot be created with CMYK inks (e.g. logo color).
-There is a need to improve or increase intensity of a specific process color by adding spot color ink. This 5th plate from the spot color to used as addition to CMYK is called a bump plate.
-Some of the full color publication is coated with clear varnish, varnish being specified as a spot color.

With this safely learned, you wouldn’t fall to the blunder of having full color printing disasters and save time and budget during the entire process, too! -30-

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