Adobe InDesign CC 2015 - Manual (Page 478)

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Color
Last updated 6/6/2015
Support of legacy behavior
If you open a .idml file with color group information in previous versions, the Swatches panel displays the flat swatch
list with no color groups as color groups are not available in earlier versions.
Understanding spot and process colors
About spot and process colors
You can designate colors as either spot or process color types, which correspond to the two main ink types used in
commercial printing. In the Swatches panel, you can identify the color type of a color using icons that appear next to
the name of the color.
When applying color to paths and frames, keep in mind the final medium in which the artwork will be published, so
that you apply color using the most appropriate color mode.
If your color workflow involves transferring documents among devices, you may want to use a color-management
system (CMS) to help maintain and regulate colors throughout the process.
About spot colors
A spot color is a special premixed ink that is used instead of, or in addition to, process inks, and that requires its own
printing plate on a printing press. Use spot color when few colors are specified and color accuracy is critical. Spot color
inks can accurately reproduce colors that are outside the gamut of process colors. However, the exact appearance of the
printed spot color is determined by the combination of the ink as mixed by the commercial printer and the paper it’s
printed on, not by color values you specify or by color management. When you specify spot color values, you’re
describing the simulated appearance of the color for your monitor and composite printer only (subject to the gamut
limitations of those devices).