Please be sure to use CMYK color
CMYK is recommended for as accurate color reproduction as possible. RGB colors are associated with television screens and computer monitors, but is not used in printing. It is NOT recommended using RGB images or colors when submitting files for print. When submitting RGB images and colors, the colors are converted to a four color process (CMYK) and color shifting can and will occur on your file producing results you may not like.
Be aware that it is possible to see colors in RGB that you can't make with CMYK. They are said to be "out of the CMYK color gamut". What happens is that the RGB-to-CMYK conversion in most programs just gets as close as possible to the appearance of the original and that's as good as it can be. It's something that everyone in the industry deals with. So it's best to select any colors you use for fonts or other design elements in your layout using CMYK definitions instead of RGB. That way, you will have a better idea of how they will appear in your final printed piece.
Here's a common example: many programs translate the 100% Blue in RGB into a somewhat purple-looking color in CMYK. We recommend a CMYK value of 100-65-0-0 to get a nice clean blue. Working in the CMYK color space to begin with allows you to select the CMYK values, or "screen build", that gives you the results you want without the need to convert any colors.
Conversion
Below is an example of a file converted from RGB to CMYK. You will notice the color differences in the final result.
Please remember, to avoid a potentially unwanted shift in color, make sure all files are in CMYK before uploading to us.
Converting to CMYK
Here is a list of several common programs with instructions on how to make sure you are working in the CMYK color space. If your program or version is not listed here, don't worry. Most of these instructions will apply to all versions of a program. If at any time you need further help, please contact us for assistance. We are happy to talk you through the steps needed to get your document into the CMYK color space.
Adobe Photoshop
If the file already exists select the following menu options: Image/Mode/CMYK. When starting a new file select CMYK for the mode before clicking OK.
Adobe Illustrator
Select File/Document color mode/CMYK color.
Adobe InDesign
Use the following menu options: Window/Swatches and Window/Color. Double click color in Swatches Change color mode to CMYK and color type to Process. Any colors created in the document that are not in the Swatches palette, need to be changed to the CMYK color space. Select each object you want to convert and make sure the Color palette reflects the CMYK percentages. Click top right arrow in the palette to change to CMYK if necessary.