spot color vs process color

[Donna]

Thanks everyone for quick responses. I think I've got it!

Donna wrote: Hello all--I have read Deke McClelland's narrative on color about five times now and I still am somewhat confused. First of all, am I correct in that SPOT colors cost you more to print, because they are on a single plate? Second-I am using the Pantone Process Coated library and working in a CMYK color mode. I chose my colors from the above library, but when I took my project to InDesign and did a preflight--it told me I had 16 spot colors. What important bit of info am I not getting here? Do I have to use my fan guides and "create" each formula for the process color? Thanks.

[Barry Kelsall]

Unless I missed something in this thread, no one mentioned that you can SAVE
money using spot colors.

Say you are doing a job with black text and a logo using a Pantone color.
Then you need only two plates, not four.

Note that you can "simulate" more colors by using a screened percentage of
the spot color, while still using the single plate.

It is always good policy to communicate with your printer. -BK