Whether you’re a designer or you’re getting a design, it’s important to know the difference between the RGB and CMYK color modes so you can plan and optimize each stage of the design process. That goes beyond just knowing what the letters stand for—spoiler alert: they’re mostly colors!—because it’s more about knowing which one is the best for your project. Depending on where and how the final result is displayed, one color space is always better than the other.Never fear these acronyms again!
Variable Dot Halftone Advantage FilmMaker controls the mix of small, medium and large dots. So filmmaker has 3 times as many halftone shades compared to other RIPs. Precision Ink Volume Control The most important feature in any RIP is being able to control ink volume. Too little ink and your ink density will be weak leading to exposure problems. What good rip software do you recommend? Besides Fast Rip? That puts out good halftones. And has anybody ever used smart vector pro? I saw a tutorial they had on there website and i was pretty impressed on how fast and easy it was to vectorize an image is it really that easy or are they overrating there product?
We’re going to explain what the RGB and CMYK color modes are, how they work and when it’s best to use each. What is the difference between RGB and CMYK?—Both RGB and CMYK are modes for mixing color in graphic design. As a quick reference, the RGB color mode is best for digital work, while CMYK is used for print products. But to fully optimize your design, you need to understand the mechanisms behind each. Let’s dive deeper. What is RGB?—RGB (Red, Green and Blue) is the color space for digital images.
Use the RGB color mode if your design is supposed to be displayed on any kind of screen. RGB and additive mixingA light source within a device creates any color you need by mixing red, green and blue and varying their intensity. This is known as additive mixing: all colors begin as black darkness and then red, green and blue light is added on top of each other to brighten it and create the perfect pigment.
When red, green and blue light is mixed together at equal intensity, they create pure white.Designers can control aspects like saturation, vibrancy and shading by modifying any of the three source colors. Because it’s done digitally, the designer manipulates how the light on the screen manifests to create the color they want. When to use RGB?If the end destination of your design project is a digital screen, use the RGB color mode. This would go for anything that involves computers, smartphones, tablets, TVs, cameras, etc.Turn to RGB if your design project involves:. web & app design.
icons. buttons.
graphics. branding. online logos. online ads. social media.
images for posts. profile pictures. profile backgrounds.
visual content. video.
digital graphics. infographics. photographs for website, social media, or appsWhat are the best file formats for RGB? RGB file formatsJPEGs are ideal for RGB files because they’re a nice middle-ground between file size and quality, and they’re readable almost anywhere.PSD is the standard source file for RGB documents, assuming all team members are working with Adobe Photoshop.PNGs support transparency and are better for graphics that need to be superimposed over others.
Consider this file type for interface elements like buttons, icons or banners.GIFs capture motion, so if you’re using an animated element, such as a moving logo or a bouncing icon, this file type would be ideal.It’s best to avoid TIFF, EPS, PDF and BMP for RGB purposes. These formats are not compatible with most software, not to mention they can be unnecessarily large in terms of data. What is CMYK?—CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is the color space for printed materials. CMYK and subtractive mixingA printing machine creates images by combining CMYK colors to varying degrees with physical ink. This is known as subtractive mixing.
All colors start as blank white, and each layer of ink reduces the initial brightness to create the preferred color. When all colors are mixed together, they create pure black. When to use CMYK?Use CMYK for any project design that will be physically printed, not viewed on a screen. If you need to recreate your design with ink or paint, the CMYK color mode will give you more accurate results.Turn to CMYK if your project involves:. Branding.
business cards. stationary. stickers. signs & storefronts.
Advertising. billboards. posters. flyers. vehicle wraps.
brochures. Merchandise.
t-shirts, hats and other branded clothing. promotional swag (pens, mugs, etc.). Essential materials. product packaging.
restaurant menusWhat are the best file formats for CMYK? CMYK file formatsPDFs are ideal for CMYK files, because they are compatible with most programs.AI is the standard source file for CMYK, assuming all team members are working with Adobe Illustrator.EPS can be a great source file alternative to AI because it is compatible with other vector programs.All things considered, it’s always best to consult your printer beforehand to find out which file format they prefer.
How to set up RGB and CMYK color modes in design programs—If you’re using Adobe software, here’s how to set up your color mode for a new project. How to set the color mode in Photoshop The Color Mode setting in Photoshop is included in the New Document windowWhen you create a new document in Photoshop, the Color Mode option will be included with other parameters in the New Document window. How to set the color mode in Illustrator The Color Mode setting in Illustrator is hidden within the Advanced Options menu in the New Document windowWhen you create a new document in Illustrator, the Color Mode option will be hidden under the Advanced Options collapsable menu. Click on the arrow to expand this menu. How to set the color mode in InDesign. You can set the color space of individual swatches by using the Color Mode dropdown menu in the Swatch Options panelInDesign automatically sets the default color mode depending on which type of document you choose (either in the Print or Web/Mobile category, which translate to CMYK or RGB respectively).When you work with colors inside the program, you’ll notice that swatches will already be measured in RGB or CMYK values depending on which type of document you are working in. Because InDesign allows you to mix color spaces, you can change the color mode of individual swatches whenever you create one, but in general it is best to keep colors consistent.
How to check whether your document is in RGB or CMYK mode—If you can’t remember what mode you set your document to or you are working with someone else’s file, here’s how you check the color mode. How to check the color mode in Photoshop Image ModeIn Photoshop, the color mode is listed in parenthesis in the document’s tab. You can also find it by navigating to Image Mode. The document’s color mode will have a checkmark next to it.
How to check the color mode in Illustrator File Document Color ModeIn Illustrator, the color mode is listed in parenthesis in the document’s tab. You can also find it by navigating to File Document Color Mode. The document’s color mode will have a checkmark next to it. How to check the color mode in InDesign CMYK color mode is shown in the Colors panelOne easy way to check the color mode in InDesign is to use the Color panel. Navigate to Window Color Color to bring up the Color panel if it is not already open.
You will see colors measured in individual percentages of CMYK or RGB, depending on your document’s color mode. How to convert between RGB and CMYK—Some of you may be thinking, “Well, this article would have come in handy when I first started the project!”Don’t despair.
Yes, it’s important to start a project in the correct format, but it’s still possible to convert between RGB and CMYK if you need to.Be prepared for the colors to look different (darker or lighter due to additive or subtractive mixing). If you are a designer, you will have to explain this to your client. And in addition to changing the document’s color space, you may need to change the colors themselves to find an approximation of what you had before.Here’s how to use design software to convert between RGB and CMYK color modes.
How to change the color space in Photoshop. Use the Destination Space dropdown menu to change the color modeTo change the color mode of your Photoshop document, navigate to Edit Convert to Profile. This will bring up a dialogue box. What you want to pay attention to is the Destination Space field. Use the dropdown to select your desired color mode.There are different libraries of RGB and CMYK colors, which is why you will see multiple options.
For general purposes, the first two options are fine, but you may want to check with your printer beforehand to be sure of what they need.If your image is not already flattened, check the Flatten Image to Preserve Appearance box as your colors may not come out as well in multiple layers with blending/transparency between them. Once you’re ready, hit OK and you will see the color mode information change in the tab at the top of your document. How to change the color space in Illustrator Edit Edit Colors, select the color space you want to convert toTo change the color mode of your Illustrator file, select all objects in your document.
Navigate to Edit Edit Colors and select your desired color space. How to change the color space in InDesign. Select Output on the left side and use the Destination dropdown menu to convert the color modeYou can change the color mode of your InDesign document in the export process. Navigate to File Adobe PDF Presets Press Quality and select a save destination. In the Export Adobe PDF popup box, select Output on the left side and use the Destination dropdown menu in the Color section to choose your desired color mode.This method can be helpful in a pinch, but if you are working with a lot of different images, it is best to change the image’s color mode through their native programs (like Photoshop or Illustrator) assuming you have linked them.
Know your color modes —Knowing how the colors interact to define a pigment can give you greater control over how the final color looks, and therefore greater control over your final design. The more you work within a particular color mode the better you’ll get at predicting how the design file will translate to an end product. That’s why if you want picture-perfect colors every time, it’s best to hire a professional designer. Through my experience of being on both sides of the lifecycle of Design and Printing; 15 years and still tickingThis article does a great job explaining the color theory of design. However, I will need to make notes that it is also up to the printer that is being used for proper color. Most commercial printers use a RIP program that processes colors for the printer.
Most RIP programs will convert RGB - its own CMYK mixture. This being said building a file using RGB vs CMYK is a moot point. PANTONE swatches from a book will only get a designer so far.Having a PANTONE Chart printed off a printer will be far more valuable for the design process.
The chart from the actual printer will show the variation that printers have in the commercial industry. To further note that the operator of the printer if experienced can and most times will modify the balance of ink distribution of each color based on the files being printed.My suggestion is find a good company that is willing on creating a good bond and relationship with the design group or individual. And understand how the printer produces the print via RIP or however they create the final product.
You’ll find more value in knowing if there is a consistent shift from the paper being fed through the printer. How best to set up the bleed margin for the variations of cutting devices. And most importantly how the color is created. Sorry, but your article does nothing but disseminates a totally wrong concept about CMYK being the “good”, professionals’ preferable format for printing and prepress.Actually you can use CMYK in artworks to be sent to the prepress service bureau just in 2 cases:1. You are absolutely sure about the ICM profile the printing machine is calibrated for,2. You use some special colors, where avoiding halftoning and registration problems are much important than color fidelity, e.g. Red text = 100% Magenta + 100% Cyan.In all other cases there might be a risk to have your CMYK objects converted back to RGB (actually Lab) and then again to CMYK in order to match their workflow’s ICM profile.Modern RIP workflows are usually able to make the RGB-CMYK conversion much better than the host process, so why you would work in a format which has a narrower gamut and much worse post processing capabilities?
Repeat, unless you know exactly the (eventually proprietary) ICM used by the service bureau in question. But I hardly think lots of “beginner” designers would be able to ask for this specific ICM. As an illustrator working in Photoshop, CMYK makes layer blend modes behave differently and painting in CMYK feels very unnatural if you have learned to paint in RGB as most digital artists have.I also learned that it’s best to work in RGB to give anyone down the line the maximum number of colour to convert from. Just remember to keep previewing your work in CMYK to spot potential those out-of-gamut areas and avoid major disappointment when your beautiful fluorescent artwork all turns the same mucky colour. Hello,I have a file created in Illustrator CMYK.
When exported as PDF, according to that reader open, I see two different ways.If I open in Foxit Reader, green change completely and appear bright. If I open it with Adobe Reader, I see it as in Illustrator.How is which one is showing me the true color?If I send the PDF, as that program will see the other person, he will see one color or another The same thing happens to me. How is what color will appear when you print the document?Do you know any tutorial or manual which I can understand once and for all what is what I see on screen and what I will see on paper?Thank you. 300 ppi is overkill if you’re printing with a 120 line screen or less. Although hard drives and RAM are cheap these days, we used to have to worry about excessive resolution because it would bring a computer to its knees. Also, excessive resolution actually results in “softer” images.Adobe used to have great examples of this in the (printed) Color Printing Guide that they included with their graphics programs. They explained why 1.5 to 2 times the screen frequency is the maximum resolution needed in an image.
So if you’re printing on newsprint with a 100-line screen frequency, 200 ppi is plenty. Great article, I stumbled upon it in my despair because of some things going on in our office.
Hi,I have a customer that is starting to print halftones for screen printing. They print on Translucency paper. They were able to use a Konica Magicolor 4690 they have and set it to half tones in the driver. They have a older HP Laserjet 5100 that prints on larger 11x17 paper they would like to also print half tones on. Is that possible? We are going to be putting on a new Windows 7 Pro 64bit PC with the newest version of Illustrator. I see HP only has the universal driver or you can use a microsoft driver.Can we do halftones with this setup?
Is it better to go with a new HP Enterprise Laserjet 700 series printer that will print on 11x17 paper? Will they support halftones?Halftones and illustrator are new to me so forgive me if any of this seems simple.
I think that you will be hard pressed to get any laser printer to print half-tones (lpi-lines per inch) suitable for screen printing (Frequency modulated screens) as most printers print random pattern screens (stochastically modulated) measured in dots per inch.These two methods differ in the manner in which they are generated in modern printers. Modern printers will generate the stochastic screen within the printer engine/firmware. Half-tone screening is generally generated by RIP (raster image processing) software which can better control the way ink/toner is placed down on the receptive media (paper,film,plastic etc)Older printers printed with half-tone screen which is too fine for screen printing - 300 to 600 dpi. Ideally screen printing is printed between 15 lpi to 100 lpi (very high quality)RIP software prints half-tone screen measured in lpi using high quality (image setters older offset print tech, plate-setters and inkjet printer etc), to high printer resolutions (1200-6400dpi) on to receptive media.
This process prints many, many small dots to make larger small dots on a receptive media.There are many ways around the need for expensive (industry based) software, using Photoshop or an equivalent.I googled 'pre-separating Photoshop files for Photoshop' and came up with a number of methodsa few of the methods use Photoshop and the last link uses Illustrator in various manners.The results don't rely on any particular printer, just techniques. Which will leave you with a whole bunch of learning and experimenting to get the results screen printing correctly.I hope this is helpful rather than confusing,cheersjmpg. Further to mpg70's commentIn order to print halftones properly, the printer needs a higher resolution than most lasers can provide. To produces 256 shades, halftoning requires a 16 x 16 pixel cell.
For 100 lpi, that means the printer needs a resolution of 1600 dpi (16 x 100). Most lasers print 600 dpi max, some go to 1200 dpi. When they claim a higher dpi, that is only for printer-internal halftoning, using a much more advanced system than the PostScript halftone system used in commercial printing.Most laser printers ignore any halftoning commands sent by the software - on the assumption that the built-in halftoning will give a much better image.It is possible to send the printer a PostScript snippet to change it's settings and allow software halftones but I have not tried that on any reasonably modern printer, and I won't guarantee it will work. It stays in the printer even after resets and reboots. It does also assume you will a PostScript driver, and an application that knows how to use halftones. I have attached 2 files, one to turn halftones on, the other to turn them off.
They need to be sent to the printer with a DOS COPY or LPR command. Try them on your printer and see if they work. If they don't, you're right out of luck on this.Top inkjets are different as individual printer pixels can be addressed, if they are used with a software PostScript RIP. The RIP can produce the halftone dots and send them to the printer. Good inkjets also have higher resolution than lasers, again favouring halftone printing.
Great info so far. From my understanding they don't need to print color, just black. But if a good quality inkjet will be better for the process then I think they would go for it. They don't want to stick money into something that won't work.Using Wasatch RIP (Rapid Image Processing) Software and printing on a clear substrate was a recommendation they had from one of their contacts as well. Looks like that RIP supports mostly plotters or wide format printers.Again, they are using this for screen printing T Shirts, so I guess the color on the paper or media doesn't matter. For the long term I need to give them a recommendation of what would work the best for them and move forward with it. Any more thoughts or recommendations on a RIP and Printer that will print 11x17?