RGB vs CMYK

Creating designs for your print on demand shop? Your computer display uses the RGB color space. Your designs will be printed in CMYK, so designing that way saves surprises. Some colors you can see in RGB are not available in CMYK. So the colors change when printed. The shop thumbnails will not show you that change. This video shows the changes to RGB when converted to CMYK.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• design
• cmyk
• rgb
• tutorial
• tutortanith

[hollywoodmoviebiz]

Unless you're shooting directly and only for a magazine or newpaper, 99% of photographers shoot and work in RGB. Why? It's got a wider color range (gamut) and you want to be able to use the extra color if you print to an inkjet or other RGB printer. When you finish perfecting an image (intended for publication) in Photoshop, you or the press operator convert to CMYK. It takes 5 seconds, including automated punch-up to compensate for CMYK's smaller color range. Work in RGB!

[dragonshire]

That works if you are talking photography. Photographs are almost always in the CYK gamut because they are of natural objects and therefore reflected light. If, however, you are creating art or text on line to be printed you need to be aware that what is seen on screen very often cannot be printed. In terms of created on screen colors it can be VERY different. So consider the information in the context given. It isn't about photographs it is about designing art and text on line.

[dragonshire]

The point is that whatever profile you choose in the graphics application the output file must contain only colors also in the CMYK color space. Color rendition for the typical Print On Demand environment is not accurate enough for RGB profile to matter.

[tatog22]

crappy video



[1RadicalOne]

I do digital graphic design, and I have always thought that compared to RGB(V), CMYK looks absolutely terrible.

[zedrein18]

pfft, Y Pb Pr pwns all.

[furvert101]

thats a good point, but if you work in CMYK when it comes time to print you already know exactly how it will look (excluding the technical proofing, you never know EXACTLY how it will look) and you dont need to hassle with the conversion process..

[furvert101]

K actually stands for Key, not the K in the word 'black'

[NevermindTool]

cmy K = Key (Black) [Key Color]

[kumbaso18]

cmyk is for printing

[johneymute]

never heart of cyan,magenta.

pretty strange,mmmmmmm