I guess you have probably heard thousands of times the terms RGB and CMYK in daily work, yet do you really know what they are, when to use and why?
When it comes to designing for print, there is a range of things you need to consider that includes the design itself, the type of files, color mode setting, the printing capability of equipment, etc. Among these factors, the color mode acts as a bridge that connects your designs and the final result.
Let’s uncover the basic logic behind color mode choice
A golden rule in the printing industry is anything dealing with the web should always be in RGB and printed materials should be in CMYK. In the following, I will briefly explain the reason behind that.
WHAT IS RGB & CMYK?
RGB is an additive process that stands for red, green, and blue. The main purpose of the RGB color model is for the sensing, representation, and display of images in computer monitors. However different devices detect or reproduce the same RGB value differently since the color elements (such as phosphors or dyes) and their response to the individual R, G, and B are varied in different devices, or even in the same device over time, that is to say, color will appear differently if printed in RGB.
Thus, we need another color mode to help us define color in printing.
CMYK is a subtractive calculation that stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. It is only used for printed physical color. In the printing press of past days, to achieve color, each ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) had its own plate. First, the printer would lay down one color, wait for it to dry, and lay down another color, wait for it to dry, and so on. Printing presses still work on the same theory to this day.
each ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) had its own color palate and the color is achieved by laying down one color after another. This process is quite time-consuming, since before we lay down a new color template, we need to wait for the first one to dry. Printing presses still work on the same theory to this day, but with the development of technology, the dryer inside the printing machine enables this process to run more efficiently.
WHEN TO USE WHICH ONE?
If you’re going to print something, use CMYK. CMYK does not include a white color because it is widely assumed that it will be printed on a white paper and depending on the percentage of each color that is used, the white from the paper will be used to fill the space, therefore making the shades appear lighter.
Yes, you will notice that among the four colors in CMYK, there is no white color. The reason is simple, as it is widely assumed that all the graphics will be printed on a white cloth or paper, the white color, to some extent, is used for filling the space and thus making the shades appear lighter.
If it’s something that will only be seen on the screen, use RGB. A digital monitor like a computer is made up of tiny units called pixels. These pixels are composed of three light units, one for red, one for green, and one for blue. The RGB values are applied to these pixels, thereby setting the luminosity for each of the light units in each pixel.
Certain RGB values, representing the luminosity of each light unit in each pixel, are applied to these pixels that are consisted of red, green and blue light units.
One thing should be known conversion from RGB graphic files to CMYK may cause slight color differences and have a subtle influence on the final print result. To solve this problem, standard Pantone color is used when converting the RGB files to the CMYK.
To summarize when it comes to deciding to use RGB or CMYK, the key point you need to consider is where the output is. If the output will be on a computer monitor, RGB is the preferred choice. If you’re doing something for print, then CMYK is usually the way to go.
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