Spot-colour labels · one or two inks
One colour, mixed exactly, printed flat
The short answer: a spot colour is an ink mixed to your reference before printing, not a screen of dots pretending to be it. It reproduces a brand colour precisely, keeps small text crisp — and costs about 23 % less than the same label in full colour. From £117 per 100.
The saving
The same label, two ways of printing it
Coated satin, gloss varnish, 100 labels — the only difference between the two columns is the number of inks.
| Size | One or two colours | Full colour | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 × 30 mm | £117 | £151 | −22 % |
| 55 × 70 mm | £137 | £179 | −23 % |
| 100 × 105 mm | £159 | £207 | −23 % |
| 55 × 70 mm, 1 000 labels | £159 | £209 | −24 % |
| 55 × 70 mm, 3 000 labels | £204 | £271 | −25 % |
Excluding VAT and delivery. The gap widens slightly with volume, because ink is a larger share of the cost as the setup is amortised.
Where it is available
Four ranges print in spot colour
Coated & everyday papers
One colour, or two for the same price. The cheapest printed label we make.
from £117 / 100
Metallic papers
Black on bright silver or gold — the combination four-colour printing cannot reproduce at any price.
from £120 / 100
Industrial films
One colour of your choice on polyester and aluminium — rating plates, warnings, equipment marking.
from £181 / 100
Security films
Destructible and VOID stocks in one colour — the least expensive way into a real tamper-evident seal.
from £139 / 100Fluorescent papers print in black from £122 per 100. Textured, eco, synthetic and functional stocks are full colour only — if your design needs both a textured paper and a single flat colour, we simply print that colour in four-colour process and say so on the proof.
Not only cheaper
On a typographic label, one colour is simply better
Four-colour printing builds every tone from dots. At normal reading size nobody sees them — but on 6-point ingredient text, a hairline rule or a small logotype, those dots soften edges that a solid ink keeps razor sharp. A flat background printed in four colours can also band very slightly; printed as a spot colour it is perfectly even.
That is why so many spirits, pharmacy and preserve labels have always been two colours: not to save money, but because the result is crisper. The saving is a bonus.
- Material
- Coated satin white
- Size
- 35 × 70 mm
- Printing
- Two colours: forest green + black
- Finish
- Gloss varnish
- Quantity
- 300 per reference
- Run price
- £128 per reference
- Same in full colour
- £171 per reference
An example of a real order. Quantities are not capped — we print from a hundred pieces to several million.
Choosing
Which route for which label
| Your design | Best route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Logotype and text only | One colour | Sharper, and about a quarter cheaper |
| Brand colour + black | Two colours | Exact colour, same price as one |
| An exact reference that must not shift | Spot colour | Mixed to the reference, not simulated |
| Photograph or illustration | Full colour | Four inks reproduce continuous tone |
| Three or more flat colours | Full colour | Beyond two inks, process is cheaper |
| A metallic effect | Spot on metallic stock | The shine comes from the material |
FAQ
Spot colour — what customers ask us
What is a spot colour?
An ink mixed to your exact reference before it goes on the press, rather than simulated with dots of cyan, magenta and yellow. That is why it reproduces a brand colour precisely, why solid areas come out perfectly flat, and why small text and fine rules look sharper than the same design in four colours.
How much does one colour save?
About 23 % against the same label in full colour, at every size we checked: £117 instead of £151 at 35 × 30 mm, £137 instead of £179 at 55 × 70 mm, £159 instead of £207 at 100 × 105 mm — all per 100 labels with the same varnish. The saving holds as the run grows.
Which materials can be printed in spot colour?
Coated and everyday papers, including fluorescent stocks; metallic papers and films, in black; industrial films and security films, in one colour of your choice. Creative textured papers, eco materials, synthetic films and functional stocks are full colour only — the ranges are built that way.
Can I have two colours instead of one?
Yes, on paper stocks: one or two colours share the same price, from £117 per 100. Two well-chosen colours — a brand colour and black — cover most label designs that are not photographic, which is why so many food and spirits labels never use four.
Can I combine spot colour with foil or a metallic stock?
Yes, and it is where spot printing shines. Black on a bright silver paper, or a single deep colour with a gold hot foil on a textured stock, gives a result four-colour printing cannot reach at any price — and it starts at £120 per 100 on metallic paper.
Fewer inks. Sharper label. Smaller invoice.
One or two spot colours, from £117 per 100.