Have you ever noticed that the colours on your printed materials sometimes come out a little different then what you were seeing on your screen? That difference comes down to how those colours are prepared and produced.
Print uses a colour mode called CMYK while digital screens use a mode called RGB. CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black), and is a subtractive colour model.
RGB, on the other hand, stands for Red, Green, and Blue, and is an additive colour model. Knowing when to use these two different modes will help keep your colours consistent across all media, print and digital.
CMYK Dots
RGB Pixels
Subtractive vs Additive
You may be wondering what we mean when we say CMYK is a subtractive colour model or that RGB is an additive one. Let's dive in and take a closer look. A subtractive colour model works by removing (subtracting) light from
white. When you combine cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks on paper, each layer absorbs certain wavelengths of light, resulting in the final colour you see. The more colours you add, the darker the result becomes. An additive colour model, on
the other hand, works
by adding light together. Digital screens use pixels that emit red, green, and blue light in different intensities to create all the colours you see. The more colours you add, the lighter and brighter the result, with all three at full intensity
producing white.
When to Use CMYK or RGB
You should use CMYK when designing anything that will be physically printed, such as brochures, business cards, or posters. This colour mode ensures that your printed colours are accurate and vibrant, matching your
expectations as closely as possible.
The most common file types that will maintain your CMYK colours are PDF, TIFF, and EPS. Just be sure that you are working in the proper CMYK mode in whatever software you're using.
PDF and EPS file types can store both raster and vector images, while TIFF is primarily used for raster images. If you are working with
vector graphics, you can also use
AI
(Adobe Illustrator) files, which can be saved in CMYK mode.
RGB is ideal for anything primarily viewed on a screen, such as websites, social media graphics, and email campaigns. Since RGB is designed for digital displays, it can produce bright, vibrant colours that look great on
computers, phones, and tablets.
The most common file types for RGB are JPG and PNG. Again just be sure you are working in the proper colour mode in your software of choice or colour data can be lost when saving.
While JPG and PNG file types only handle raster images, both have their own use cases. The JPG file type excels in working with photographs or images that use a lot of different colours
but cannot handle images with transparent backgrounds. Meanwhile the PNG file type excels in images that have less colour and unlike JPGs, can handle transparent backgrounds. Saving your images using the proper file type can
help
keep your images looking their
best and also helps keeping the file size down.
Raster vs Vector Images
Now you've probably seen "raster" and "vector" images mentioned a couple times in this blog post. Here's just a quick rundown on what those mean. Raster images are images made up of a grid of tiny coloured pixels, much like a mosaic. Each pixel
holds a
specific colour value, and together they form the complete image. The main thing to remember raster images is that they have a fixed resolution, so if you try to enlarge them too much, they can become blurry or pixelated.
Vector images, on the other hand, are images created using mathematical formulas to define shapes, lines, and colours. This means they can be scaled up or down to any size without losing quality. Vector images are ideal for logos, icons, and
graphics
that need to look sharp at any size, whether on a business card or a billboard.
Below are a couple images of a 12pt. letter "o" magnified by 6400% to showcase the difference between a raster image and a vector image.
Magnified Raster Image Example
Magnified Vector Image Example
Show Off Your Colourful Designs!
Here are a couple products that we offer that would be perfect for showing off your colourful designs!
Value Posters
These are your everyday garden-variety posters seen in bedrooms, teenage walls, offices, schools, etc.
Shop Now
X-Banner Stands
These highly portable and budget-friendly spring-back banners feature a lightweight, x-shaped frame and vinyl banner graphic.
Shop NowWe're here to help!
If you're unsure which colour mode or file type to use, our print experts are always here to help. Reach out before you start your next project to ensure your colours look as close to perfect no matter where they appear.
Ready to get started? Contact us today!
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