Figma CMYK: The Complete Guide to CMYK Color for Print
Figma doesn't support CMYK natively — but your printer requires it. This guide explains everything about CMYK color in Figma: why it matters, how the conversion works, which ICC profile to choose, and how to export accurate CMYK PDFs.
Why Figma Uses RGB (Not CMYK)
Figma is a screen-first design tool built for web and UI design. Every pixel you see on your monitor is displayed using RGB (Red, Green, Blue) — an additive color model where light is emitted to create colors. Red + Green + Blue at full intensity = White.
Print, however, uses CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) — a subtractive color model where ink absorbs light. Cyan + Magenta + Yellow at full intensity = a muddy dark brown (which is why Black ink is added separately).
This fundamental difference means colors you design in Figma cannot be printed as-is. They must be converted from RGB to CMYK before sending to a printer. Without this conversion, you have no control over how your colors translate to ink on paper.
The Color Gamut Problem
RGB has a wider color gamut than CMYK. This means some colors that look vibrant on screen simply cannot exist in print. The most common problem colors are:
Neon Greens
RGB #00FF00 shifts to a duller green in CMYK. No ink combination can match this intensity.
Vivid Blues
Bright electric blues lose saturation in CMYK. They appear more purple or muted.
Hot Oranges
Vibrant oranges can shift toward red or appear less saturated when printed.
Solution: Use an ICC profile during conversion. ICC profiles define exactly how each RGB color maps to CMYK ink values, accounting for paper type and ink behavior — much more accurate than a simple mathematical formula.
ICC Profiles Explained
An ICC profile is a color translation dictionary. It tells the conversion engine exactly how to map each RGB color to CMYK values for a specific paper and ink combination.
| Profile | Region | Paper | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO Coated v2 300% | Europe / Global | Coated | Default choice — works for 90% of print projects |
| US Web Coated (SWOP) v2 | United States | Coated web | US magazines and publications |
| GRACoL 2006 | United States | Coated sheet | US premium commercial printing |
| PSO Uncoated | Europe | Uncoated | Letterhead, books, natural paper |
Not sure which to choose? Start with ISO Coated v2 300%. It's the industry default for commercial printing worldwide. If your printer specifies a different profile, use theirs — Printery Pro supports custom ICC profile uploads.
How to Convert Figma Designs to CMYK
Install Printery
Open Figma → Resources → Plugins → search "Printery". Install the plugin. It's free to start.
Enable CMYK Mode
Open Printery, go to color settings. Toggle CMYK conversion on and select your ICC profile (default: ISO Coated v2).
Export PDF
Click Export PDF. Printery converts all colors from RGB to CMYK using the ICC profile and embeds it in the output PDF.
Advanced CMYK Topics
Rendering Intent
When an RGB color falls outside the CMYK gamut, the rendering intent determines how it's handled:
- Relative Colorimetric (default) — Maps out-of-gamut colors to the nearest reproducible color. Best for most designs.
- Perceptual — Compresses the entire gamut to preserve relationships between colors. Better for photos.
Pantone Spot Colors
CMYK mixing can't guarantee exact brand colors. For critical color accuracy (logos, brand identity), use Pantone spot colors.
Printery Pro lets you map any Figma color to a Pantone spot color, which is printed with a dedicated ink — guaranteeing exact color reproduction regardless of press calibration.
Total Area Coverage (TAC)
TAC is the sum of all CMYK ink percentages. Most printers require TAC below 300%. Exceeding this causes smearing, slow drying, and paper warping. Printery enforces TAC limits automatically.
Rich Black vs Pure Black
K100 (pure black) appears gray-ish on large areas. For backgrounds, use rich black (C60 M40 Y40 K100). For small text, use K100 to keep edges sharp and avoid registration issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Figma support CMYK?
No. Figma is an RGB-only tool. To get CMYK output, you need a plugin like Printery that converts your colors during export using ICC profiles.
Can I preview how my colors will look in CMYK?
You cannot preview CMYK on an RGB screen with 100% accuracy, since your monitor physically cannot display CMYK. However, Printery's conversion gives you the closest possible representation. For critical work, always do a test print.
Why not just convert RGB to CMYK with a formula?
A mathematical formula (like our RGB to CMYK converter) gives approximate results, but ignores ink behavior, paper absorption, and dot gain. ICC profiles account for all of this, giving much more accurate results for actual printing.
Accurate CMYK from Figma
Stop guessing what your colors will look like in print. Printery converts RGB to CMYK with ICC profiles — directly inside Figma.
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