Final answer:
True, spot colors are indeed specialized inks used on press for consistent and specific color reproduction, separate from the process colors of CMYK.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is true: spot colors are specialized inks used in printing. Unlike the process colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) used in color mixing by ink jet printers and color televisions, spot colors are pre-mixed inks applied when a specific, consistent color is needed and cannot be achieved with CMYK inks alone. This is particularly important in brand logos and corporate identity materials where color consistency is essential. For instance, a company's logo might use a particular shade of blue that cannot be exactly replicated by combining CMYK inks. In such a case, a spot color ink, which is mixed to match this exact shade, would be used.
Spot colors require their own printing plates and run on press separately from CMYK inks. This is different from process printing, which blends the four primary inks to create a wide range of colors on paper. Relief printmakers could use a similar approach by using a separate block or matrix for each spot color or by using reduction prints with a single block that is modified as the printing process progresses. However, the use of spot colors is more typical in commercial printing rather than in the artistic domain of relief printmaking.