Colors work differently the way you see them online in a social media post versus how they appear on printed material. When you get involved in professional printing that incorporates designing materials like cards and brochures, the knowledge of RGB and CMYK formats becomes essential. So, here you will learn about the basics of both the codes with a more focus on CMYK, a color mode preferred by printers.
RGB Color Code
RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue. Light energy forms the basis of the model, referred to as additive model wherein white is formed by adding the highest strengths of the shades of light. And when all colors are at zero intensity, the result becomes black like your computer screen when it’s turned off. Usually, computer screens display colors in RGB mode so you will be using these to create your designs.
CMYK Color Code
CMYK is a pigment-based color model. Instead of RGB’s additive model, CMYK uses a subtractive model where the starting point is white and subtracting intensities produces different shades. CMYK uses four-color plates, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. Here, black is used to establish a reference frame that one gets by keying in all the colors.
To produce different shades, the four colors use a halftone dot for printing their varying percentages. Zoom in any printed material and you can find halftone dots combined together to create the final piece. However, the CMYK model comparatively produces lesser shades than the RGB model.
Thus, before ordering a print, you should consult with Brisbane printers to ensure you are delivering an accurate combination of the CMYK model in your design.
