Spot Color #3

My good friend Jorge has some interesting questions about spot colors. I choose to post them as a blog, rather as a comment. I know that I haven't been very serious about maintaining my blog lately, because I am closing up my studies at RIT and prepare to move to Modesto, CA, to work for Pacific Southwest Container as a Color Assurance Engineer (www.teampsc.com).

I invite everyone to take some though on Jorge's questions and initiate a round of discussions.

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I have the following questions/comments:
1. The whole reason on reproducing spot color by 4,5,6 or 7 process colors is productivity. The largest downtime of a print shop dedicated to spot colors is the preparation and matching of them for each job. Having a press with only process colors loaded will avoid ink changes.

2. What does the Spotless technology from Creo offer that cannot be done with the normal Adobe Software? Is it the color separation? Are there any other benefits? (Their web page is very limited on information).

3. Kodak or Creo made a test for offset and determined how many Pantone colors could they reproduce. Does someone have access to these results?

4. The Spotless technology is linked to their Stacatto FM Screening technology and Square Spot. Does this bring large benefits on the consistency of the reproduction of the spot colors using process colors?
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Spot Colors #2

What are the benefits of printing spot colors instead of process (CMYK) colors?

1. Spot colors are easier to reproduce, requiring a single printing unit and without the need of transparency or trapping that process colors have.
2. They are more capable to achieve accurate color matching, since their hue is more or less defined during their formulation. Assuming that the process is stable then that hue will be reproduced consistently, and the variability will depend upon chroma and lightness. Chroma and lightness are affected by the thickness of the ink film, which is adjustable during the process.
3. Spot colors are reproduced from a single printing unit and a single plate. This, combined with the less makeready time due to lack of trapping issues, make them more cost effective.
4. They are preferred by print buyers who wish to achieve brand recognition, by defining their company or product images with color cues. This is why sometimes they are called 'brand' colors.