How do Pantone colors affect the way my job prints?

Our presses print in CMYK, so any Pantone (spot) color in your file is converted to CMYK. That causes three kinds of problems:

• Color shift: many Pantone colors, especially bright oranges, greens and blues, can't be matched exactly in CMYK. The printed color can look duller or different than your swatch.
• Effects: shadows and glows on top of a Pantone color can print with boxes or hard edges.
• Transparent images: a transparent image over a Pantone color can print with white areas where it should blend.

Convert all Pantone colors to CMYK yourself before you upload. That way you see the shift on your screen and can adjust it, instead of being surprised by the printed piece. Signs and banners are also printed in CMYK only.