CMYK (or process color) is the color mode used in commercial printing to create full-color graphics and images.
The process involves combining varying amounts of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K – for “key”) ink to produce the full spectrum of color.
The other color mode you’re probably familiar with is RGB color. RGB uses three colors: red (R), green (G), and blue (B) to create a full-color effect.
For best results, when designing your artwork for print, start with CMYK color mode. This will help ensure your images and background colors look great from the start. Of course, you can create your artwork in RGB, but then it will have to be converted to CMYK after the fact.
While most colors translate pretty well from one color mode to the other, subtle color shifting is common when converting from RBG to CMYK (and vice versa), requiring some manual adjustments to get things just right.
Take a look at the image above. Do you notice the slight variations from RGB to CMYK color modes?
Other examples of this include how many software programs will translate a 100% blue RGB value into a CMYK color that looks more purple than blue. Such changes will need to be accounted for if you start with an RGB color mode and then convert to CMYK later on.
If you send us files that use RGB color, we will convert your files to CMYK before printing them. In such cases, we recommend you view a printed proof before we complete your order, so you can see how the converted colors will appear in print.
Converting Images in Adobe Photoshop
If you’re using images from a digital camera or your phone, those photos are most likely using RGB color. Here are the steps to convert an RGB image to CMYK color using Adobe Photoshop.
The other common color mode, RGB color, uses three colors – red (R), green (G), and blue (B) – to create a full-color effect. RGB is the color mode used by screens, including computer monitors, digital cameras, and televisions. Varying levels of red, green, and blue light combine to create the images that appear on the screen. That’s why web-based images are created in RGB color mode.
What is a Pantone Color?
Pantone is a company that specializes in products that accommodate color matching, called the Pantone Matching System, or PMS for short. Is there a specific shade of orange or blue that is included in your logo? For consistency, you want to make sure your brand colors are the same on every marketing project, so selecting a PMS color for those hues is important. Pantone sells swatch books with formulas for color so that every printer around the world can match their ink to a Pantone color. Pantone colors are also referred to as spot colors.
Viewing either PMS or CMYK colors on a computer screen is a challenge due to lighting changes and display variations (displays use the RGB color model). Pantone swatch books and color charts for PMS colors allow anyone to see the exact color that will be printed on your project. A unique set of numbers assigned to the colors allows printers and customers to communicate effectively about what can be a challenging and variable subject: color. What looks like magenta to one person could easily be described as a red-purple by someone else — making it tough to describe specific colors without the common language available with PMS standards.
Printing CMYK versus Pantone Colors
Printing CMYK Colors
To create an image using CMYK colors, printers define four separate printing plates that combine together in dot patterns to make up a full image. One plate is used for each of the four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) and is designed to lay down a very specific amount of pigment on the image. While this may sound like a simple way to print, it has worked effectively for hundreds of years.
Printing PMS Colors
PMS colors are slightly different than CMYK colors because they are mixed before they are applied to a plate surface. The pure spot color, or PMS color, is a mixed ink that allows for a wider range of reproduced colors than the CMYK spectrum. PMS inks are not laid in a dot pattern but can be screened in a halftone to produce a variety of shades.
Color Mode for Print
When designing artwork for print, it is recommended to start your design in CMYK color mode to help ensure your images and colors are accurate from the start. If artwork intended for print is in RGB color mode, it will need to be converted to CMYK color mode before going to print.
While most colors translate fairly well from one color mode to the other, subtle color shifting is common when converting from RGB to CMYK (and vice versa), requiring some manual adjustments to get things just right. For example, some software will translate a 100% blue RGB value into a CMYK color that looks more purple than blue. Such changes will need to be accounted for if you start with an RGB color mode and then convert to CMYK color mode later on.
Because of the different color modes between screens (RGB) and print (CMYK), it is important to view a printed proof of a project before it goes to print on a press to ensure color accuracy.
Converting Color in Adobe Photoshop
If you’re using images from a digital camera or royalty-free photography website, chances are the image files use RGB color. Here are the steps to take to convert an RGB image to CMYK color using Adobe Photoshop:
How do you read CMYK colors?
CMYK is a four-color process and stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black), and is preferred for use on printed materials because it helps achieve a true color.
How do I check CMYK values?
To check the CMYK values of a color in Adobe Illustrator, you can follow these steps:.
Select the object or text with the color you want to check..
Go to the "Window" menu and select "Color" to open the Color panel..
In the Color panel, you will see the CMYK values displayed for the selected color..
How are CMYK colors measured?
Where RGB color has three channels for red, green, and blue, CMYK color has four channels for cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). Each of these channels is measured from 0% to 100%, and will tell the printer the relative density of each ink that is required.