Spot Color Process

We’ve talked about our CMYK and Simulated Process printing, but it’s time to get back to the basics of screen printing. Spot Process Printing is the original and most common form of screen printing. Spot Process printing is the best print method for many designs, especially designs with fewer colors and no color gradients. This method uses stock colors or custom colors and creates vibrant solid “spots” of color. 

The first step of spot process is breaking down the artwork into spots of color. This is how we create our films for screens, with each spot color we’re able to print out a film. These films are then placed on our screen and put into an exposure unit. The film has solid black in the spots that we print which causes those areas on the screen to not cure, making us able to rinse out the screens. This leaves us with a stencil in our screens which ink can be pushed through onto a variety of garments. 

Once the screens are rinsed and dried, they’re ready for the press. This is when our screen printer registers all the colors to each other to make a perfect print. Depending on the screens we use we’re able to lay down less or more ink, creating a softer or more vibrant and thicker print. This is a great process for achieving vibrant prints on dark colored garments, as we’re able to create a spot screen for a white underbase. This underbase of white ink makes the colors we print on top bright and vibrant. Spot Color process looks fantastic on lighter garment shirts as well. With crisp and clean stencils to push inks through, Spot Color Process makes beautiful and bright prints on any garment.

If you’re wondering if your artwork would work for spot color process, here are the things to check: Does your artwork have any gradients? Does you artwork have 6 or less colors? Do you have a vector (Adobe Illustrator) file for your artwork?

If your artwork is a full color designs, spot color process most likely isn’t the best print method - Full Color prints are better to do with a CMYK or Simulated Process Printing. If your design 6 colors or less, than spot color is possible - although it depends on your artwork. If you have a vector version of your logo or artwork, spot process might be a great print method for your products.

Spot Process can be the most cost effective printing method if your between 1-4 colors, going to 5 or 6 colors it’s possible that another process might be more cost efficient. This is why it’s great to know what your print options are and our team can help guide you to what’s best for your design. 

Click here to see more print options or get a quote today!