Your brand blue looks perfect on business cards, then it prints a little purple on a brochure. Sound familiar? Color shifts happen fast, because ink, paper, and press settings all change the result. The good news is you can choose spot color, CMYK, or a mix based on what you’re printing, what you can spend, and how exact the match needs to be.
A spot color is a pre-mixed ink printed as a single, solid color. It’s often specified with Pantone (PMS) so different printers can aim for the same target. If your logo depends on one strong, flat color, spot ink is usually the most repeatable option from run to run.
CMYK (process color) prints with four inks, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, using tiny dots that visually blend. It can create lots of colors, but “your brand blue” is really a recipe, and that recipe can look different on coated vs uncoated paper, or on different presses.
In 2026, calm neutrals are popular (Pantone’s Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, is a soft white-gray), and those subtle tones make consistency even harder if you rely on process-only builds.
Spot ink shines when you need the same color across vendors and materials: logo marks, solid color backgrounds, premium stationery, and packaging where shoppers compare items side by side. It’s also the go-to for metallics, fluorescents, and printing on darker stocks where ink opacity matters.
Looking for premium business card printing or branded stationery. Our spot color printing ensures perfect brand matching every time.
Choose CMYK when your design uses photos, gradients, or lots of colors. It’s often cheaper for full-color pieces and shorter runs. To stay on-brand, set a brand-approved CMYK build for key colors, then proof it on the exact paper stock you’ll print.
CMYK works great for brochures and marketing materials that include photos and graphics.
Budget considerations? Check our guide on how to save money on business printing without sacrificing quality.
Use spot ink for the primary logo color(s), then use CMYK for images and supporting graphics. Break that rule when the piece is photo-heavy, or when budget matters more than a perfect match.
Mixing both is common and practical: spot keeps your brand anchor stable, CMYK handles everything else.
Examples:
These techniques work especially well for custom packaging and corporate branding materials.
Setup tips: name spot swatches correctly (PMS), keep the logo as vector, and confirm spot colors don’t get converted to process on export. Ask your printer how they prefer rich black, overprint settings, and trapping.
Spot color can be more expensive for multi-color designs but is cost-effective for 1-2 color jobs. CMYK is typically cheaper for full-color work and short runs.
You can create CMYK builds that approximate Pantone colors, but they won’t be exact matches. For critical brand colors, use spot ink.
If your business card has a logo with 1-2 brand colors, spot printing ensures consistency. If it includes a photo, use CMYK for the photo and spot for the logo.
💡 Pro Tip: Always keep a physical printed sample of your brand colors as your “master reference.” Screen colors can never accurately represent printed ink.
Want to learn more about choosing the right materials? Read our guide on picking the best printing materials for your project.
At Business Printing, we help brands maintain perfect color consistency across all printed materials. Whether you need spot color printing, CMYK, or a combination, our team ensures your brand always looks its best.
Contact us today for a free consultation on your next printing project, or call 215-867-8111 to speak with a print specialist.
Last Updated: February 2026
