A spot color is a single ink mixed to an exact recipe before it goes on the press. Most printers name spot colors with Pantone Matching System numbers, such as PMS 286 C for a deep blue. Instead of building the color from dots of cyan, magenta, yellow and black, the press lays down that one ink, so the color stays the same from job to job.
Spot colors matter for logos and brand colors that must match every time, and for one- or two-color jobs like notepads, carbonless forms, envelopes and screen-printed shirts, where a single ink can also cost less to run than full color.
Say a plumbing company called Northgate Plumbing prints its trucks, shirts and invoices in one shade of red. Asking every vendor for the same PMS number keeps that red consistent instead of drifting a little on each order.
In aiKit, Printer's Helper builds one- and two-color PMS jobs and lists the plates in the file, while photos print in full color. Vectorize Kit shows the closest spot match for each logo color; it is approximate, so check a printed swatch before matching ink.
Related terms
See it in practice
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Turn a blurry JPG, PNG or phone photo of a logo into a clean vector (SVG, EPS, PDF) with a match score, every color version and a print check.
GuideHow to add bleed to a PDF for printing
Add 1/8 inch bleed to a PDF in plain words: aiKit extends the art past the cut, sets the print boxes, checks the file and gives you a proof to approve.
Use casePrint-ready files for print shops: fix customer art by asking
Fix customer files by asking: add bleed, resize, check, set PDF boxes. Get a print-ready PDF, a file check and a proof link. Free to start.
Use caseOnline proofing for print shops: a clear, signed yes on every job
Send print proofs with cut and safe lines. Customers pin comments and approve by typed name from a phone, no account. Free to start with aiKit.
Use caseVirtual samples for promo products, in every color, with a spec sheet
Put a customer's logo on shirts, caps, mugs and signs in every color, check the decoration, and send a spec sheet and approval link. Free to start.