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Spot colors.
Accurate color & economical printing.
 The concept of spot color logos is actually quite simple. Using premixed ink swatches (such as the Pantone Matching System), a designer, client or printer is able to select the exact color tones desired in a particular logo. See here for a more in-depth look. This is very similar to using color swatches of paint at the local hardware store, in order to select the color of your wall at home. And just like the paint swatches at the hardware store, spot colors have their unique numeric code - a PMS number, followed by a letter - C (for use on coated or 'shiny' stock) and U (for use on uncoated or matte finish stock). Using these color swatches and numbers, your printer will take the file, and output a metal plate for each color. These plates are applied to the press, inked up with the appropriate color, and then the paper is run though it, with one impression for each color. What comes out at the other side is your completed image. Spot color reproduction is generally more economical than that featuring a four color process logo, and as the ink colors are based on exact matching formulas, color accuracy and control are optimal. Using Pantone Numbers in your corporate logo design has the added advantage of being 'industry standard'. Anyone working on any additional artwork will be able to match the colors featured in your logo exactly without having access to the original artwork. Spot colors are also more flexible than you'd think. When working with your logo design, your designer can still add the 'appearance' of more colors by adding screens and tones of a particular Spot Color (see left). If handled correctly, this shouldn't be a concern - it will not increase the reproduction costs of your logo, while giving the appearance of more colors than we're actually using.
Spot colors are generally cheaper to print.
Using spot colors in your logo (and the resultant business cards, letterheads and advertising materials) is generally cheaper in the long run. Spot color printing usually costs less (for the simple reason that the paper requires 1/2 the number of impressions as 4 color process, and can be printed on a smaller sized press.
Spot colors are extremely accurate for color matching.
We've already discussed how color accuracy is a nice feature of spot colors. It's probably worth while to note that there are some exceptions, namely the fact that some colors will vary significantly between the coated and uncoated versions. If color matching is critical, you may have to set up two press runs, using two sets of inks - coated and uncoated - that have been adjusted to match. This is particularly significant in the printing of stationery, where many people opt for glossy (Coated) business cards while their letterhead remains matte (Uncoated). This is not the case will all colors, and some colors shift more than others (Yellows and Oranges which require the reflectivity of the paper to create their hues are particularly sensitive). There's a couple of workarounds for this issue - convert everything to 4 color process, or use matte business cards as well. Unfortunately, not all spot colors translate 100% accurately in 4 color process colors so we need to be very carefully when changing colors from one palette to another.
Next Page: CMYK colors
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