CMYK vs RGB- What's the Difference?

What's the difference between CMYK and RGB?

Great question! We get this question a lot since we can only print in CMYK and it is listed in our artwork policy. Let's take a moment and break down the color differences and answer some more questions.

  • CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and "Key," or black) are the ink colors used during the printing process. The term "key" is used instead of "black" because, really, this is a mixture of the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks — the resulting "black" can be minutely different from one printing company to another. 
    CMYK_Revised.png
  • RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) are the colors of light used by your monitor to display your document on-screen. Black is not listed because on-screen black is an absence of light. A mixture of red, green, and blue light produces white.

RGB_Revised.png

How does this affect your artwork?
Any image you create on your computer should be created in CMYK mode. This will ensure that the colors you see on-screen will most closely match the final printed product. If you create your document in RGB, the colors in your printed product may vary slightly: many of the bright values produced by your monitor cannot be exactly reproduced in print or have to be edited to get as close as a color match as  

A lot of digital images are JPEG files, and JPEGs are almost always in RGB.

Note: All printers, regardless of their type, are unable to print in RGB.

How can you check what color mode you're in?
You can check what color code you're in under settings when creating a canvas in AI, PS, and Procreate. Canva is automatically in RGB and cannot be changed so keep that in mind. 

How can we ensure images are color matched?
If you didn't create your image or don't know if it was made in CMYK, just send us an email and we can try our best to get as close of a color match as possible. Chris is a Color Match King and works hard correcting images for the best print outcome possible. 

Can I still have my RGB images printed?
OF COURSE! We can and do still print RGB images. They just automatically get converted to CMYK when we print and that means the colors(or hues) may not match perfectly, or can vary from design to design. If you need the colors to be exact, make sure to email your RGB image first and discuss with Chris. 

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