What is a Pantone (spot) color?

What it means for your file

Spot colors are common in packaging, labels and screen printing. When the job prints a Pantone ink, it stays a named swatch in the file; when the job prints in CMYK only, every spot color has to be converted first.

How to fix it

If your printer sent the file back saying “Convert the spot colors to CMYK,” the fix page has the step-by-step way to do it yourself, and a fixed price if you’d rather have it done.

How to fix “Convert the spot colors to CMYK” →

Where else it comes up

• “The file is RGB, it needs to be CMYK”
• “The artwork doesn’t fit our dieline”
• “The transparency needs flattening”
• “There’s no white ink layer”

Related terms

CMYK

CMYK is the color model used by printing presses: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (K) inks combined to make every color.

Dieline

A dieline is the template that shows where a label or box will be cut, folded and glued, supplied by the printer for the exact size and style.

Overprint

Overprint means an object is printed on top of the colors beneath it instead of leaving a gap for it, so the inks mix.

Bleed

Bleed is artwork that extends past the trimmed edge of a printed piece, usually 0.125 in (3 mm) on each side, so no white edge shows after cutting.

Safe area (safe zone)

The safe area is the margin inside the trim, usually at least 0.125 in (3 mm), where text and logos should stay so they are never cut off.