{"id":7560,"date":"2023-11-28T14:40:16","date_gmt":"2023-11-28T14:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/?p=7560"},"modified":"2024-05-11T10:03:44","modified_gmt":"2024-05-11T10:03:44","slug":"rgb-vs-cmyk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/rgb-vs-cmyk\/","title":{"rendered":"RGB vs CMYK – What\u2019s the Best Color Mode?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I am often asked if it\u2019s better to work in RGB or CMYK, particularly if the final product is going to print. There\u2019s no black and white answer to that question (forgive the pun). Instead, there are a number of factors to consider, and they will be covered in this post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before jumping in with advice, a little background is called for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does RGB Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, RGB is known as an \u201cadditive\u201d color model, meaning you start with Black when RGB = 0, 0, 0 and start adding color until you end up with white when RGB = 255, 255, 255 (8-bit). You will note, in an act of color symmetry, that R+G = Yellow, G+B = Cyan, and B+R = Magenta \u2013 the primary colors of the CMYK color system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Does CMYK Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CMYK is a \u201csubtractive\u201d color model, where you start with white paper and a CMYK percentage of 0,0,0,0. When you add color, you are subtracting from white until you end up with a rich black of CMYK = 100, 100, 100, 100. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why does the RGB model have three colorants while CMYK has four?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It turns out that commercially available dyes and pigments have contaminants that prevent them from achieving a pure Cyan, Magenta or Yellow. So if you combine CMY you typically get a dark muddy brown or a charcoal gray. Only by adding black ink (K) can you achieve the dark black we all expect. As an added benefit, a single black ink is less expensive than 3 combined inks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cmyk<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The two applications that I most frequently come across in my travels working with photographers and designers are Adobe\u2019s Photoshop\u2122 and Illustrator\u2122. Both offer the option to work in RGB or CMYK. (Photoshop also offers Lab, but that\u2019s for real geeks and outside the scope of this post.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photoshop\u2019s origin was as a retouching tool for photographers, and thus the default color mode has always been RGB. Illustrator’s origin was as a design tool for print designers, and its default color mode has always been CMYK. So if you don\u2019t mess with the default settings, and many don\u2019t, you will end up working in RGB in Photoshop and CMYK in Illustrator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there are more compelling reasons to consider in choosing your color mode than simple inertia. Here are some arguments in favor of working in RGB to be followed by some in favor of CMYK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Work in RGB<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Multiple final destinations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most graphic arts professionals today are not sure where their work might finally appear. But it\u2019s a safe bet that the internet is the most popular destination. And RGB, specifically sRGB<\/a>, is the color mode for the internet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slightly more subtle issue occurs when multiple print destinations are involved. For instance, an image could be destined for an inkjet printer for Point of Sales purposes as well as a CMYK printing press for a print ad. Most inkjet printers have a substantially larger color gamut than a printing press. So if you work in Creative Cloud\u2019s default CMYK working space (U.S. Web Coated SWOP) you are throwing away a lot of color that would otherwise be available on an inkjet printer. In addition, most inkjet printers are controlled by a RIP (Raster Image Processor), which will happily accept RGB or CMYK files. Thus, the safest option if you are not sure about your final print destination is to stay in RGB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"us<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Larger color space<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a variation on the theme of the previous paragraph, most RGB color spaces are larger than CMYK color spaces, so if you work in RGB you preserve more of your colors. That then begs the question \u2013 which RGB color space? The Adobe default is sRGB, which with a volume of 832K is substantially larger than most CMYK spaces. Another RGB color space even larger than sRGB is AdobeRGB (1998). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And larger still is ProPhoto RGB. In fact, at 2543K volume it\u2019s so large that its outline can not be properly shown in my 2D projection software below. ProPhoto is sometimes used by photographers as an archival color space, since it is so large, there is no worry about any of your colors getting clipped. Though to ensure gradients don\u2019t suffer banding, it\u2019s necessary to work in 16-bit with ProPhoto, which doubles that amount of space each file takes on your hard drive. Either way, ProPhoto is not a good color space for doing editing. The color space is so much larger than what can be shown on your monitor that you run the risk of degrading your image by making changes in ProPhoto that you cannot see on your display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"srgb
Screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With sRGB being so much larger than CMYK color spaces, there doesn\u2019t seem to be any downside to just working in this default setting, right? Alas, it\u2019s not quite that simple. Even though sRGB is more than twice the size of a typical inkjet printer gamut, there are areas \u2013 in Cyan and Yellow\/Orange \u2013 where the inkjet\u2019s gamut can exceed sRGB. That\u2019s why many graphic arts professionals prefer to work in AdobeRGB, which more or less incorporates all printable colors. Go to our separate blog post to learn how to change your Adobe color settings<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"adobe<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Lightroom\u2122 is RGB-only<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While Photoshop and Illustrator are the two applications I see graphic arts professionals most commonly using, the fact remains that many people use Adobe Lightroom for editing photos as well. And Lightroom does not support CMYK mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Easier to retouch with 3 variables than with four<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people say it\u2019s just easier to think in three colors rather than four. Makes sense to me. Also, there can be a variety of CMYK combinations that will achieve a given color, whereas there\u2019s usually just one RGB combination \u2013 another simplifying factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Work in CMYK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Though I think I\u2019ve made a strong case about the value of working in RGB, there are still instances where CMYK has advantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Controlling your print build<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you know your final destination, and it\u2019s a printing press, there can be a strong reason to deliver your print provider a CMYK file. This allows you to control the CMYK build of your file. For instance, it might be preferable to build a gray color out of K only instead of CMY + K. Printing presses vary through a press run, a 3-color gray color that starts neutral might shift warm or cool in the course of a press run. If the color is built out of K only, it is less likely to shift. Or if you have small type that is built out of CMY + K, it may have registration problems. Not an issue with K-only builds. Lastly, as stated earlier, grays or blacks that are built mostly out of K use less ink and therefore cost less to print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. You are used to working in CMYK<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lots of designers and retouchers have spent years working in CMYK and are more experienced and comfortable with that color mode. Sometimes the best tool is the one with which you are most comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAQs about RGB vs CMYK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n