Design
Two design professionals explain what spot colors are and when and how to use them
Both Chack Robles (@chackrobles) and John Naranjo (@jonaranjo) have spent over two decades in the worlds of advertising and editorials, respectively: this means they are experts in the world of printing. Throughout their careers, they’ve been able to work with spot colors on numerous occasions and are the perfect people to clear up any doubts over what spot or Pantone colors are and when to use them.
What is a spot color?
As John Naranjo tells us, colors, depending on their origin, can be differentiated into light colors—which are those derived from the decomposition of light and which, in screens and devices, compose light into RGB values—and pigment colors, created from the chemical mixture of pigments to create a color. Spot colors belong to this second group.
Spot colors, also known as solid colors, "are used to select special colors that can be applied in a single run without the need to combine selection or offset colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) or four-color process", clarifies Chack Robles. The Pantone system, made up of flat colors, has managed to interpret multiple colors by mixing basic pigments. With it, says Naranjo, "you can achieve colors that are out of range and cannot be represented digitally, such as metallic colors, pastel colors, etc."