RGB	CMYK

RGB

RGB stands for Red, Green, & Blue. These are the primary colours of white light in the visual spectrum. So when we talk about RGB colour, we are referring to colour as we see it.

RGB is used for onscreen applications such as websites.

CMYK (Process colour)

CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black). These refer to the ink colours used in the CMYK full colour type of printing. Also called "4 colour process" or "process colour".

The ink is laid down in a 4 step process, one ink colour at a time. Colours are built up using the combination of the inks, and the way they interact with each other. Varying the percentages offers thousands of color possibilities.

Issues: Often a color that is put through a process can vary between the first print and the last print.

Spot colour

Pantone / spot colours are referred to as solid colour. The colour inks are created by mixing exact ratios of inks based on 14 basic colours. Each color in the system has a unique PMS number that designers and printers refer to on a swatch chart.

Colours printed in this way can be cleaner and brighter than CMYK. Pantone spot colours are mainly used for the printing of corporate logos.

Issues: Using spot colors in your logo is generally cheaper in the long run. Spot colours are mainly used in 1 to 3 colour jobs due to cost savings. However CMYK printing is far cheaper than 4 spot colours. For 1 to 3 spot colour jobs, by using shades of the spot colour the results are very flexible. It will not increase the reproduction costs, while giving the appearance of more colors than we are actually using.

	An example Compare how the same colour looks as a spot colour vs. a CMYK colour. Pantone solid on the left, and the CMYK on the right. As you can see, the colours do not match - they are slightly different.

Colour guides

Although colour guides are a good tool for determining the colour that should be used, they should be used only as a guide. There is no guarantee that the final printed colour will look exactly like the colour in the guide. Factors include: different brands of inks, paper type, coated and uncoated finishes.

View the Pantone Colour Chart (pdf file). Please note colours may look different on your screen or printed via your office / home printer. For true accuracy use a Pantone Color Publication provided by a professional printer.

Print proofs

Most proofs will not give you an exact match for colour. When colour is critical, ask your printer for a test swatch service, it is the most accurate way of testing colour.

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