Spot Color vs. Process Color in Adobe Photoshop

Copyright (c) 2011 Mandi Pralle

Spot color is simply a color created without screens or dots; they are referred to also as solid colors. A spot color is essentially, any color created from ink that happens to printed via a single run. Process colors, which are more common in printers, utilize four colors, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, mixing them to get a certain shade or color on your print, where spot color inks are mixed to make that exact color.

Spot color is obviously less efficient ink wise, because it has to always be mixed to that specific color, and not simply mix them on paper; it is a color that is made itself just for that part of printing. However, it is also more consistent that way. If you are printing a few hundred copies of a work of art, and want them to stay exactly the same hue and color, spot color can do that, where if the colors are mixed onto the printouts via CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) then they have the chance to vary just slightly.

This makes spot color very important to use for things like company logos, or mass production and distribution of a piece of art. A color can say a lot and if a company wanted a bright yellow color, it may turn into a darker hue or even a slightly orange color, which could send the wrong message, if you are using process colors. This is why spot color is so important, and now you can even use both methods in one, having the CMYK standard process, but including another set of ink cartridges just for the extra spot colors.

The differences caused by process color, while simple, can be drastic if something needs to be that precise, which is why spot color will always have its place in the printing process. It is more reliable and much more consistent. However, the amount of ink and effort it takes to produce this effect also makes the everyday user, which accounts for most of the printing, happier to use process colors, and the CMYK inks. This process is still very accurate when it comes to displaying an images color, and it's also much more cost effective for those that don't have extra money to expend on more ink for a more precise printout.

More research is done in printing every day, and newer methods of ink distribution are experimented with, however none so far have become as convenient as process coloring, and none as precise as spot coloring. Both these styles of coloring seem to have a hard grip on their niche, and will continue to be used until made unnecessary.


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