What is Spot color?
A single, pre-mixed ink color used in screen printing. Each spot color in a design requires its own screen and its own ink pass. Contrast with process color (CMYK overprint).
In detail
Spot color printing applies a single, pre-mixed ink as one solid color across all pixels assigned to that channel. Each spot color requires a dedicated screen exposing only that channel's pixels, and a dedicated ink pass through the press. Spot color produces the most accurate, consistent color reproduction because each ink is mixed to exact specification and applied as a single layer — no overprint mixing. The trade-off is cost and complexity: each additional spot color requires another screen, another setup, another registration calibration. Screen printing typically uses 4-8 spot colors per design. Process color (CMYK) is the alternative for photographic-style designs — overlaying 4 ink colors to simulate the full gamut. Process is cheaper and supports gradients better; spot is more accurate and survives wash cycles better. Spot color also outlasts process color in wash testing — pre-mixed inks penetrate fabric fibers as a single chemical layer, while CMYK overprint relies on four ink layers stacking, each subject to its own wash-out rate. Premium-priced apparel almost always specifies spot color for this longevity reason.
Example
A 6-color spot print: navy logo, white background fill, gold metallic accent, bright red detail, soft pink shadow, dark green leaf. Each color is mixed to a specific Pantone TCX code. Six screens, six ink passes, exact color match across the entire production run.