An exact ink formulation loaded into a single press unit to print a specific hue, rather than simulating the color by overlapping cyan, magenta, yellow, and black dots. Printers use these premixed inks for brand logos, metallic finishes, or fluorescent hues that process color cannot accurately reproduce.
The client wants their logo in a Pantone spot color to guarantee it matches their corporate branding exactly.
Specifying too many spot colors on a single job drives up the cost, as each requires a separate plate and press washup.
Do not mix it up with
- Process color: Spot color uses a single premixed ink, while process color builds hues by overlapping four base colors.
Related terms
Process color
A printing method that mixes four standard ink colors to reproduce full-color images.
CMYK
The standard four-color printing process that combines cyan, magenta, yellow, and a key plate of black ink.
Color separation
The prepress process of dividing a full-color image into individual primary color channels for printing.