What is CMYK? is the primary colours used in the printing process

CMYK, which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black), represents the primary colours used in the printing process. Printing presses employ tiny dots of ink in these four colours to create the complete image.

The term “Key” refers to black, denoting its significance in determining the final image. Black ink is responsible for creating depth and shading, while the other colours, when combined, produce a wide range of hues on the colour spectrum. For example, overlapping cyan and yellow inks result in the creation of green.

Have you ever printed something from your home or office printer and noticed that the colours look slightly different from what you expected? Before assuming you’re imagining things, consider that this can occur when using the wrong colour profile.

Computer screens operate in RGB (Red, Green, Blue) rather than CMYK. While this distinction may not seem significant during the design phase, it has a substantial impact.

A monitor not calibrated to display CMYK will exhibit different colours compared to what may be printed. This is because the RGB spectrum is considerably broader than CMYK, allowing for colours that are outside the CMYK range.

While some commercial printers may use RGB, the majority, prefer CMYK for several reasons. CMYK offers greater standardisation due to its well-defined colour spectrum, ensuring consistent colours across print runs. In contrast, RGB has numerous variations that make it challenging to guarantee colour consistency across different print runs or machines.

The use of GMG scanners enables precise monitoring of CMYK, allowing each printing press to be calibrated for consistent colour production. This is why commercial printers favour CMYK—it ensures colour consistency across print runs and various machines.

If you’ve designed artwork in software that generates RGB documents, you may encounter issues when sending it for printing, as colour conversion from RGB to CMYK can lead to variations. To avoid last-minute colour conversion problems, it’s advisable to use design software that can automatically save and export your document in CMYK settings.

What is CMYK?

What is CMYK?

CMYK vs. RGB

Why Do Printers Use CMYK?

Converting RGB to CMYK