Spot colour vs process colour
There are two ways to put colour on a press. Process colour builds every shade from cyan, magenta, yellow and black dots. Spot colour is a single premixed ink — a Pantone (PMS) — printed from its own plate. One is flexible and cheap for photos; the other is exact and consistent for brand colours. Knowing which to use saves money and matches your brand.
Process colour: four inks, infinite shades
Process (CMYK) printing reproduces full-colour images by overlapping tiny halftone dots of four inks. From a distance your eye blends them into millions of colours. It's how every photograph in print is reproduced, and it's economical because four plates cover everything. The downside: the colour you get depends on press, paper and calibration, so it can drift between runs. For the full picture of why screen colour and CMYK differ, see CMYK vs RGB.
Spot colour: one exact, premixed ink
A spot colour is mixed to a recipe before it reaches the press — like buying a tin of a specific paint. The most common system is Pantone (PMS). Because it's one solid ink on its own plate, it prints the same every time, on any press, and can hit colours CMYK simply can't: vivid oranges, deep blues, metallics, fluorescents.
Why brands insist on spot
A brand colour printed in CMYK can shift between print runs and vendors. The same colour as a Pantone spot ink is locked — that's why brand guidelines specify a PMS number, so the logo looks identical on a business card, a sign and a box.
Cost: the deciding factor
Each plate costs money to make and set up. A two-colour job in spot inks can be cheaper than four-colour process; but adding a spot ink on top of full CMYK (a fifth plate) costs more, reserved for when brand accuracy justifies it.
| Situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full-colour photos | Process (CMYK) | Only practical way to print images |
| 1–2 colour stationery | Spot | Fewer plates, crisp solids, lower cost |
| Exact brand colour | Spot (Pantone) | Consistent every run |
| Metallic / neon | Spot | Outside CMYK gamut |
| Photo + exact logo colour | Process + spot | 5th plate for the brand ink |
Practical tips
- Choose spot colours from a physical Pantone swatch book, not your monitor — screens misrepresent ink.
- If a spot colour must be simulated in CMYK (because the budget is four-colour), expect a shift, and check the Pantone bridge value.
- Name spot swatches correctly in your file so the printer separates them onto the right plate.
- Solid spot panels still need to respect ink limits on absorbent stock — see Total Area Coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pantone the same as spot colour?
Pantone is the most common spot-colour system, but 'spot colour' is the general term for any premixed single ink printed from its own plate. Pantone (PMS) numbers are just the most widely used way to specify them.
Should I use spot or CMYK for my logo?
If colour consistency across runs and vendors matters, specify a Pantone spot colour. If the logo only ever appears inside full-colour (CMYK) jobs and slight variation is acceptable, a process build is cheaper. Many brands define both.
Why can't CMYK match my Pantone colour exactly?
Many Pantone inks sit outside the CMYK gamut — especially bright oranges, deep blues, metallics and neons. CMYK can only approximate them, so the simulated version looks duller. Use the actual spot ink when exactness matters.
Does adding a spot colour cost more?
Adding a spot ink as a fifth plate on top of CMYK increases cost because of the extra plate and press unit. But a job printed in just one or two spot colours can be cheaper than full four-colour process.
Why brands buy a tin of ink
When a colour has to be exactly right on every run and every vendor, CMYK won't cut it — that's what a Pantone spot ink is for. Pick it from a physical book, never a screen. Reviewed June 14, 2026.