Spot Colors are colors intended for the printed output and are incorporated into the output via color conversion – for example, Coca-Cola red, Red Bull blue, or barcode black.

Within the application, Spot Colors have the following properties:

• The Spot Color is rendered in the preview and corresponds to the expected appearance in the print output.
• The Spot Color is fully taken into account during rendering and is part of the print output.
• Conversion to the output color space is performed based on the selected color strategy, taking the lowest ∆E value into account.
• When downloading or exporting, the Spot Color is preserved in the PDF file. In this case, no color conversion into the target color space is performed.

Figure 1: Left: The print file with a Spot Color; Right: The result, when Print Item Only is selected during download or export, opened in $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR

Technical Spot Colors – such as Kiss Cut, Dieline, or Crease – serve exclusively technical purposes and must not affect the print output.

Within the application, Technical Spot Colors have the following properties:

• Technical Spot Colors are not considered during rendering and do not affect the print output.
• When print data is uploaded to the application $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW, Technical Spot Colors are automatically set to overprint to avoid unwanted knockouts in the print output.
• The correct overprint behavior is ensured automatically by the normalization process during data upload.
• Technical Spot Colors can be removed from the Print Item at any time without affecting the visual result.
• Technical Spot Colors can optionally be output in the lead-in/lead-out, provided that this setting is enabled for the print process.

Figure 2: Left: The print file with Technical Spot Colors; Right: The result, when Print Item Only is selected during download or export, opened in $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR

Spot Colors Output as Separation – for example White, Varnish or Primer, as well as Neon Pink or Neon Yellow – are output to a defined Process Color and are not subject to a conventional color space transformation.

Within the application, Spot Colors that are output as separations behave as follows:

• Rendering is performed without applying color management.
• Linearization can optionally be applied in combination with profiling projects.
• The Spot Color can be defined as either overprinting or knocking out.
• When downloading or exporting the print output (Print Item Only), the Spot Color is included as a Spot Color.
• The Spot Color cannot be downloaded as an independent separation, since its output is already converted to a Process Color during rendering.

Figure 3: Left: The print file with a Spot Color Output Separation; Right: The result, when Print Item Only is selected during download, opened in $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR

Hybrid Spot Colors are used to identify separations that are not part of the rendered print image but are still required as part of the final output – for example, gold foil or hot foil. These separations are typically applied either before or after the main print process to the final print image.

Within the application, Hybrid Spot Colors behave as follows:

• Hybrid Spot Colors themselves are not rendered and are not part of the digitally generated print image.
• Hybrid Spot Colors can be defined as either overprinting or knocking out.
• Hybrid Spot Colors are considered during the rendering of other Process Colors, particularly in relation to overprint behavior.
• When downloading the print image (Print Item Only), the Spot Color is not exported.
• When downloading the complete file (Current Version), the Hybrid Spot Color is retained in the PDF file.
• Hybrid Spot Colors can be downloaded as an independent separation and processed accordingly – e.g., mirrored or distorted.
• Hybrid Spot Colors can optionally be output in the lead-in/lead-out.

Figure 4: Left: The print file with a Hybrid Spot Color; Right: The result, when Print Item Only is selected during download, opened in $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR

Non-Printing Spot Colors allow content to be explicitly marked as non-output relevant and therefore excluded both from printing and from download or export processes.

Within the application, Non-Printing Spot Colors have the following properties:

• Non-Printing Spot Colors can exist in the print file as either overprinting or knocking-out objects.
• A Non-Printing Spot Color is completely ignored during rendering and has no influence on the print output.
• When downloading or exporting the print image (Print Item Only), the Spot Color is not taken into account and is therefore not exported. Knocking-out objects are not included in the print output.
• When downloading or exporting the complete file (Current Version), the Spot Color is preserved in the PDF file.
• The Spot Color can be output in the lead-in/lead-out if required for technical or organizational purposes.
• Downloading as an independent separation is not supported for Non-Printing Spot Colors.

Figure 5: Left: The print file with a Non-Printing Spot Color; Right: The result, when Print Item Only is selected during download or export, opened in $PRODUCT_NAME_PDF_EDITOR