Spot colours are special pre-mixed inks used in printing. Because they are pre-mixed, colours are more vibrant than in CMYK printing where colours are created during the printing process.
The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is widely used to specify spot colours. With the Pantone System, every colour has a unique number that is used to specify that particular colour for printing. Printers refer to the PMS number to mix the required colour to a standard formula from Pantone base inks. This ensures consitency in colour from one print run to the next.
What are Spot Colours Best For?
- Special corporate brand colours
- Metallic and fluorescent colours
- Large areas of flat colour
