A knockout is when a hole is left in the four-color image, and the spot ink then fills that hole. If you need your spot color graphic to knock out the underlying image, you should create it in an illustration or page layout program. This can sometimes cause lighter spot colors to darken somewhat. That means that the spot color is applied at the end of the printing process and is printed over the other inks. In the printing process, spot colors are overprinted on top of the four-color image. I created a spot channel for my sun graphic and for theДЄustralia type. Your spot channel appears in the Channels palette and is filled in the image as well. It can be helpful to see where a вЂњclearвЂќ varnish will print.Д§. But the solidity value affects only the screen view and composite prints it doesnвЂ™t affect the separations. A value of 0% represents a transparent ink, such as a clear varnish. In the New Spot Channel dialog box, select a Solidity value between 0% to 100%.ДЄ value of 100% represents an ink that is completely opaque, such as a metallic ink, which completely covers the inks beneath it. Click the Custom button in the Color Picker and select your Pantone color from the Custom Colors dialog box that appears. When you click the color swatch, the Color Picker appears.ДҐ. I recommend naming it according to the spot color you want to use, such as Pantone 3405 C or PMS 3405 C. In the Ink Characteristics area, click the color swatch. In the Name text box, enter a name for your spot color. The New Spot Channel dialog box appears.Д¤. With your selection active, choose Window->Channels, and choose New Spot Channel from the Channels palette pop-up menu.ДЄ spot color can be applied only to an active selection. Ctrl+click (Г”+click on the Mac) to select the graphic and then fill it with any solid color and an opacity of 100%.ДЈ. Create the graphic or type to which you want to apply the spot color on a separate layer.Дў. For accuracy, you must select the colors from the printed swatch book.ДЇollow these steps to create a spot channel:ДЎ.

If you are delving into the world of spot colors, I highly recommend that you choose your color from a printed Pantone swatch book, available from Because your screen is an RGB device and youвЂ™re setting up your file for a CMYK output device, the colors you see on-screen do not match the colors that will ultimately be printed on paper and at best are a ballpark match. But if the spot color graphic has a Photoshop special effect applied to it or is an integral part of the Photoshop image, then create your spot channel(s) in Photoshop.

Usually, itвЂ™s easier and more convenient to add the spot color graphic - especially if it is type or a vector shape - in another program, such as a drawing program like Illustrator or a page layout program like InDesign. Spot colors can be used instead of, or in addition to, the four process CMYK colors. Spot colors are also used when you need to apply metallic inks or varnishes to your print job. A spot color is often used for a logo, type, or small illustration. Other popular companies include Toyo and Focoltone. Spot, or custom, colors are premixed inks manufactured by various ink companies, the most popular in the U.S. Photoshop allows you to add separate channels for spot colors which can then be color separated.

Photoshop color separation action