Pantone Spot Color vs. Process Color
What is the difference?
Colors created for use in print projects fall into two categories:
'Process screened colors'
Colors are created using screens of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black, which are used in creating 4 color process images, like the images below:
or
Spot colors
Colors are created using a print of a Pantone solid color, such as Pantone 185 red image below:
In the example above, Pantone 185 Red is printed as a solid, by using Pantone 185 red ink. You can view all the Pantone solid colors in the Pantone formula guide set.
If we compare how the same color looks as a spot color vs. a process build color, the image below has Pantone 185 red solid on the left, and the CMYK build (92% screen of Process Magenta , and 76% screen of Process Yellow) on the right.
As you can see, the colors do not match exactly. This is why you should always use a Pantone solid or 'spot color' when color is critical. The CMYK built colors are not always a good reproduction of the Pantone solid colors.
You can view how different CMYK process color compare vs. solid Pantone colors using the Pantone color bridge.