When you upload your artwork to our online proofing tool, your colours will automatically be converted to CMYK, so it’s up to you whether you want to create artwork in this colour mode or not. Learn more about CMYK and how to create true black in printing here. Print uses the CYMK colour mode because we start with a white background (like paper) and add colours to it until it gets darker.īecause we can’t add white, this can mean CMYK colours aren’t as bright as RGB colours, which is why the colours you print often look a little duller than they do on your screen. They are subtractive – this means that the starting canvas is white and as colours are added, it gets darker and darker until it’s black. This means you can make lots of bright and neon colours with this colour mode that don’t really translate well to print, but look fantastic on a screen!ĬMYK colours are made from cyan, magenta, yellow and black (key). RGB (red, green, blue) colours are the ones you see on your computer monitor and on other digital screens.įor these colours, you add various amounts of red, green or blue to a black canvas to get different colours, and when these three colours are added in equal intensity, they make white. Here, we’ll discuss why there are different colour spectrums for print and screens, how to set up colours for print a variety of popular design programs and some quick colour dos and don’ts! Ever noticed that the colours you print sometimes look a little different to the colours on your computer screen? That’s because the spectrum of colours you see on your screen is a lot bigger than what can be printed on most printers, including the ones we use and the one you might have in your office.

Rgb to cmyk color code