Pantone
Spot Color vs. Process Color
Pantone Spot Color vs. Process
Color
What is the difference?
Colors created for use in print projects
fall into two categories:
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'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:
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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.
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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.
