CMYK Color Model
The CMYK
color model (also known as process color, or four color) is
a subtractive color model, based on
the CMY color model, used in color printing, and is also used
to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four ink
plates used in some color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black).
The
CMYK model works by partially or entirely masking colors on a lighter, usually
white, background. The ink reduces the light that would otherwise be reflected.
Such a model is called subtractive because inks "subtract"
the colors red, green and blue from white light. White light minus red leaves
cyan, white light minus green leaves magenta, and white light minus blue leaves
yellow.
In additive color models, such
as RGB, white is the
"additive" combination of all primary colored
lights, black is the absence of light. In the CMYK model, it is the opposite:
white is the natural color of the paper or other background, black results from
a full combination of colored inks. To save cost on ink, and to produce deeper
black tones, unsaturated and
dark colors are produced by using black ink instead of the combination of cyan,
magenta, and yellow.
There
is a very clear differentiation between RGB and CMYK in the way the colours
work. RGB is additive, while CMYK is subtractive.
What
this means is:
1.
RGB
colours are added to a black canvas to build an image
2.
CMYK
colours are added to a white canvas to remove other colours from the visual spectrum
3.
CMYK
finds use in printing, while RGB refers to monitor screens. RGB stands for
red-green-blue (or red, green, blue) and in this case means colors generated by
light and light mixtures on screens.
4. In RGB mode, much more colors can be displayed than in the CMYK color space. You may have noticed that there is a difference between the display on your computer screen and the printed result.
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