DTF Glossary
Spot channel
A spot channel is a separate raster plane assigned to a named production ink, coating, or operation rather than mixed into process RGB or CMYK colour. DTF workflows use spots for white; UV-related handoffs may also use varnish. The plane’s bytes, name, order, and polarity must match the receiving workflow.
In practice
A label such as “W”, “W1”, “White”, or “V1” is not universally interchangeable. Naming helps discovery, but the RIP queue still has to map that plane to the intended device role.
Spot-bearing TIFF and PSD/PSB can represent extra production planes differently. Validate structure and sample regions in an independent reader and the exact target RIP.