CMYKey

There are a few different color models, but by far the two most common are RGB and CYMK. Everybody is familiar with RGB, even if they are not aware of it, because that’s the color model used in televisions, computer monitors, and digital projections. CMYK, on the other hand, is usually unknown to people outside of the publishing and printing industries.

The RGB color model uses red, green, and blue in various combinations to make all other colors. It is an additive color model. This means that as more of each color is added, the closer the final color is to white. If each of red, green, and blue are added at 100 percent, then the final color is pure white. The lack of all red, green, and blue results in pure black.

The CMYK color model is used in the printing and publishing industries for what is commonly called “full-color” printing. However, this is a misnomer and the correct term is “four-color printing. ” The CMYK color model creates all colors from cyan, magenta, and yellow. The colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are called process colors. The K in CMYK does not stand for black, as many people believe. Rather, it stands for key. The key color represents the most detail in the final image or printed piece. The confusion comes in because they key color is almost always black. The CMYK color model is subtractive, which means the more of each color added, the closer the final color is to black. While cyan, magenta, and yellow combined at 100 percent create black, it’s a bit muddy and a bit more brown than black. It also creates problems in printing, requiring registration, or alignment, to be held to tight tolerances. Instead of this four-color black, the key color of pure black is used. Any time black appears in a printed piece, it should be the key color black, not the four-color black created by combining cyan, magenta, and yellow.

There are other color models, such as hue, luminescence, and saturation (HLS). Additionally, there are other types of color models for printing, such as spot color for two-color printing. But it is important to understand the differences between RGB and CMYK when working in publishing. Traditional print products use CMYK; digital products use RGB.

Tin Whiskers Publisher is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). IBPA’s mission is “to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success.” IBPA is a not-for-profit membership organization serving and leading the independent publishing community. Founded in 1983, it is the largest publishing trade organization in the United States. IBPA members pledge to uphold the organization’s code of ethics.