Code 0006: Object uses spot colour

Error: Object uses spot colour

Your Launch Lab Preflight Report PDF has returned the following error:

What is the problem?

Most commercial printers, including Launch Lab, print files in the CMYK colour space. By mixing together four inks - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black - in different amounts, CMYK printing can create a huge range of colours. Most printed material you see - games, flyers, magazines, posters, etc - is printed using CMYK.

You have received this error because your file contains a spot colour.

Spot color inks are a single colour, rather than a mix of colours as seen in CMYK. Spot colours are an expensive option used to achieve an exact colour shade, usually by companies with a specific brand colour that must remain identical across all their materials. CMYK printers like Launch Lab's equipment cannot print spot colours.

How do I fix it?

The solution is similar across all software: you'll need to open your Swatches menu, find the spot colour, and convert it to CMYK.

Adobe Illustrator and InDesign

• In the top menu, select Window > Swatches.
• This will open the Swatches palette, which displays all the colours used in your document as a series of squares.
• Look for any swatches (squares) with a dot in the bottom right corner. The dot indicates a Spot Colour.
• Double-click the Spot Colour swatch to bring up the Swatch Options panel.
• In the Swatch Options panel, check the Name of the swatch.
• NB: If the swatch is named dieline, click Cancel, and double-click the next spot colour.
• Click the Colour Mode drop-down box and change it to CMYK.
• Now click the Colour Type drop down box and change it to Process Colour.
• Rename the colour to anything you like by typing in the Name text field.
• Click OK. The Swatch Options panel will close.
• That swatch should now be a plain square with no dot, indicating it is a CMYK colour.
• Repeat for any other non-dieline Spot Colour swatches in your document.

Affinity Designer and Publisher

Unfortunately, once a Spot Colour swatch exists in your Affinity Designer or Publisher document, there is no easy way to convert it to CMYK - you have to delete and replace that colour.

• In the top menu, select View> Studio> Swatches.
• This will open the Swatches palette, which displays all the colours used in your document as a series of squares.
• Look for any swatches (squares) with a dot in the bottom right corner. The dot indicates a Spot Colour.
• Right-click on the spot colour and select Delete Fill.
• NB: Do not delete the dieline swatch.

Further help

If this error code persists after you upload your modified document, please contact support@launchtabletop.com for assistance.