One of the most frequently asked questions we receive here at So Tons Creative is “What is the difference between four color process and spot color printing?”
The reason this question is even asked is that depending on what you are printing on, shirts, golf balls, paper… there is a certain process that needs to take place. I pulled some information off the web and have pasted it below. But to really just kind of dumb it all down even further… this is how it works.
Four color process (4/CP): For pretty much anything printed on paper, even if there is only one color in your artwork. The CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) mix together to create whatever color you need. Or several colors, or gradients of colors. Much like a photograph. Or what your laser printer does.
This can be done on t-shirts as well with new processes that I won’t get into here (dye sublimation, heat transfers etc.), and a few other items you wouldn’t normally expect. So always ask.
From the internet: Process Color (CMYK) Printing
Process color printing, also known at four-color process printing, is a method that reproduces finished full-color artwork and photographs. The three primary colors used are cyan (process blue), magenta (process red), and yellow. These inks are translucent and are used to simulate different colors, for example, green can be created using cyan and yellow. The “K” in CMYK is black. Black ink is used to create fine detail and strong shadows.
Artwork and photos are reproduced when the colors in the artwork are separated, then halftoned (converted to dots). Process colors are reproduced by overlapping and printing halftones to simulate a large number of colors.
Process color printing should not be confused with basic four-color printing, where overlays are cut for the colors, and sheets of halftone dots are used to create other colors and patterns.
Spot Color: Spot Color is when you have blocks of color that do not mix with other colors (touching other colors at borders are ok). So you have a green cactus and a yellow rock. That is two spot colors.
Spot color begs me to bring up the Pantone (Color) Matching System (PMS for short). This is a library of colored inks that are premixed and are universally known to match from printer to printer. More on this from the internet.
From the internet: Spot Colors (PMS)
If you need to match a particular color, perhaps a logo color, and have a limited budget, then spot color is something to consider. Spot colors are printed with premixed inks on a printing press or screen printer. Each spot color is reproduced using a single printing plate or screen.
To ensure that a printer uses the exact color that the designer intends, the Pantone Matching System (PMS) is used. Each PMS number references a unique spot color and these colors can be found on a swatch chart. By using this type of numbering system, people can convey the exact colors for a printed piece to each other without actually looking at the same samples.
It’s important to remember that spot colors may not actually translate to matching process colors. Unlike process printing, which prints dots of color, a spot color is printed at 100% and has no dot pattern. A tint is a lightened spot color or process color and is created by printing smaller dots of the base color.
I hope this helps!
Your Dutiful Guardian of Branding and Swagstress Extraordinaire,
Cassie
