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Many graphics software programs give you the choice to work in either
RGB or CMYK mode. At some point your RGB files must be converted to CMYK in
order to print on a printing press. It's best if YOU do
the RGB-to-CMYK conversion of your images. You will have more control over
the appearance of your printed piece if you convert all images from RGB to
CMYK before sending them to us. Please review our step-by-step guide about RGB
to CMYK file conversion.
Examples of how various RGB colors convert to CMYK:
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RGB
Monitor display |
CMYK
The printed result |
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RGB
Monitor display |
CMYK
The printed result |
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When we receive RGB images, we do a standard-value conversion to CMYK,
which may not be perfectly to your liking. We want you to be happy, so
please, take the time to prepare your file
properly. We cannot be responsible for sub-par results if you furnish
your images in RGB.
Be aware it is possible to see colors displayed by your monitor in RGB
that can't be printed in CMYK. These colors are said to be "out of the
CMYK color gamut". Why does this happen? The RGB-to-CMYK translator
gets as close as possible to the appearance of the original and that's as
good as it can be. This limitation of CMYK color translation is something
everyone in the industry is bound by. It's best to select any colors you
use for fonts or other design elements in your layout using CMYK
definitions instead of RGB. That way, you will have a better idea of how
they will appear in your printed piece.
More examples of color shifting in actual photographs:
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RGB |
CMYK |
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In most photographs
color shifting is nearly undetectable. |
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RGB |
CMYK |
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Color shifts are more
noticeable when highly saturated, vibrant colors are used for a
background or some other element of your design. In the dartboard photo,
yellow, blue, magenta, and green colors are out of "gamut"
(outside the range of colors achievable by 4-color process printing). As
you can see it doesn't look bad, it just doesn't look exactly the same. |
Even though monitors always use RGB to display colors, the colors you
see on your monitor will more closely match the final printed piece if you
are viewing them in the CMYK color space.
If specific color matches are crucial to your project we strongly urge
you to invest in a Pantone® color
guide. Pantone produces a process color swatch book of more than 3,000
process colors with their respective CMYK screen percentages. |
