Why must my Spot/Pantone colors need to be converted to Process/CMYK?

We don’t print using specific spot colored inks. We can only produce a close color match to spot colors using a combo of cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks. You’ll have the most control over your color output if you convert all spot or Pantone colors to CMYK, and then adjust them if/as needed to match your desired colors.

InDesign

Any color swatches you use should be set up in CMYK by selecting Process in the Color Type< dropdown and CMYK in the Color Mode dropdown of the Swatch Options menu.

Illustrator

Go to File > Document Color Mode and select CMYK Color.

Photoshop

Go to Image > Mode and select CMYK Color.

All Spot Colors Need To Be Converted To Process

All Spot colors need to be converted to Process before submitting any artwork files. From InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, you can convert a Spot color to Process by selecting Process in the Color Type dropdown.