RGB, CMYK or Pantone for T-shirt artwork
Three ways of describing colour, and what each one means when a logo moves from a screen onto a shirt.
This guide explains colour terms so your brief is clear. It is not a colour match promise: the garment, print method and price are confirmed for your specific order when we quote.
The short answer
RGB is colour for screens, CMYK is colour for process printing, and Pantone is a named reference for one specific colour. For a T-shirt, send the original file as it is, add any brand colour reference you already have, and ask which file and colour setup the print method needs.
What each term means
Adobe's guide to colour modes covers the first two. Adobe describes RGB as colour made by mixing red, green and blue light, which is how screens show colour. It describes CMYK as the mode used for process printing with cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks. Adobe also notes that different devices can reproduce different ranges of colour, so the same file can look different on two screens and again in print.
Its page on spot and process colours draws a second line. Adobe explains that a process colour is printed by combining the four process inks, while a spot colour is a premixed ink printed as its own colour.
Pantone is a commercial system of named and numbered colour references. A Pantone reference tells a printer which colour you mean. It is not a printing process, and on its own it does not promise that a shirt will match a swatch exactly.
Side by side
| Term | What it describes | Where you usually meet it | What to tell your printer |
|---|---|---|---|
| RGB | Colour from red, green and blue light | Screens: a logo exported for a website, a phone mockup or a social post | Send the original and say it was made for screens. Ask whether the print method needs anything changed. |
| CMYK | Process printing with cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks | Files set up for paper print, such as a brochure or name card | Send it, and ask whether the same file suits fabric. Do not assume a paper setup carries over to a shirt. |
| Pantone | A named, numbered reference for one specific colour | Brand guidelines and logo specifications | Send the reference with the artwork, and ask how close the chosen method, ink and shirt colour can get to it. |
Why a shirt can look different from your screen
A screen gives off light. A shirt shows ink or thread sitting on fabric, so the same logo can look different on a phone and on the shirt. The fabric, its texture, the shirt colour and the method all change how a colour comes out, which is why our artwork checklist asks for the shirt colour alongside the design.
Do not convert everything to CMYK by default
Print methods do not all take the same kind of file. Our printing methods page covers methods from silkscreen and embroidery to DTF, DTG and dye sublimation, and a file that suits one may not suit another. Converting a file from one colour mode to another can also change how some colours look, and a converted copy is not always easy to undo.
- Keep the original, editable file exactly as it is.
- Ask which file type and colour setup the method for your order needs before you convert anything.
- If you have a brand colour reference, send it with the file rather than relying on the file alone.
Colour questions for your order brief
Put these in your first message. For company logos on uniforms, see corporate uniform printing for the garments and logo methods we list.
- The original, editable file: such as AI, PDF, SVG or PSD, plus a PNG or JPG preview. Keep your own copy unchanged.
- Any brand colour reference you already have: a Pantone reference or the colour values in your brand guide. If you do not have one, say so rather than guessing.
- Which colours matter most: which must stay close to your brand reference, and which only need to look similar.
- The shirt colour and fabric: since the same artwork can need different choices on a dark shirt and a light one.
- The print method, if you know it: or ask us to suggest one for the garment and the artwork.
Questions to ask the printer
- Which file type and colour setup does this print method need?
- Should I convert anything, or send the file as it is?
- Which colours in my artwork are likely to look different on this shirt?
- How will the colours be checked when I confirm the artwork?
Sources: Adobe Help, colour modes, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/apps/colors/understand-color-modes.html; Adobe Help, spot and process colours, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/apps/colors/spot-and-process-colors.html.
Colour FAQ
Artwork colour questions
brand colour?
Send the original file and any colour reference you have. The full list is in our artwork checklist.
Ask on WhatsApp Quote formShould I send RGB or CMYK artwork for T-shirt printing?
Send the original file in the mode it was made in, and ask which file type and colour setup the print method needs. Do not convert it yourself unless your printer asks, and keep the editable original.
Does a Pantone reference mean the shirt will match exactly?
No. A Pantone reference names the colour you want. How close a print comes depends on the method, ink, fabric and shirt colour, so ask how that colour will be handled for your order.
Why does the printed shirt look different from my screen?
A screen makes colour from light, while a shirt shows ink or thread on fabric, and each device or process can reproduce a different range of colours. The fabric and the shirt colour change the result too.
colours sorted?
Ready to send your artwork?
Send the original file, any brand colour reference and the shirt colour, and we will confirm the method and quote per piece.