Few people have heard the terms “RGB” and “CMYK”. In conclusion, the terms “RGB” and “CMYK” are both systems for representing colors. In this article, we will mainly explain the outline and characteristics of “RGB”. We will also explain the difference from “CMYK”.
elements that make up color
In conclusion, there are mainly about 5 elements that make up color. Elements such as:
・ Hue
・ Brightness
・ Saturation
・ Light source color
・ Object color
Let’s look at each in turn.
hue
Hue is the difference between different colors such as red, blue, green, and yellow. Also, these hues arranged on a circle are called a hue circle, and colors that are adjacent or close to each other on the hue circle are called analogous hues. Colors that are 180 degrees opposite are called complementary colors.
brightness
It’s the brightness of a color. The higher the luminosity, the brighter the color, and finally the pure white color. Conversely, a low brightness results in a dark color, and the lowest brightness results in a pitch black color.
saturation
Saturation is the vividness of a color. The higher the saturation, the brighter the color. Vivid colors are colors that give a strong impression, such as primary colors such as red, green, and blue, and neon colors. Conversely, low saturation makes the color duller and ends up closer to gray.
In addition, highly saturated colors give a flashy and glamorous impression, making general-purpose use difficult in some situations. Conversely, less saturated colors give a subdued or dull impression, but are highly versatile. Note that there is no difference in saturation between gray, black, and white.
“Hue”, “brightness” and “saturation” are the three basic elements of color. By considering these three things, you can see colors objectively. Even in graphic design, it is possible to decide the combination of colors considering the lightness and saturation in order to fine-tune the hue, and to adjust the lightness and weight of the colors.
light source color
Light source color is the color of light emitted by light sources such as the sun, light bulbs, and neon signs. The color of the light source is black when there is no light at all, and it approaches white when light of various wavelengths is added. The mixing of colors to produce “white” is called additive color mixing.
For example, if you shine red, green, and blue spotlights in a pitch-black gymnasium, the area where the three colors overlap will appear white.
object color
Object color is the color of an object that can be recognized when light is applied to the object. There are two types of object color: surface color, which is seen when light is reflected on the surface of the object, and transparent color, which is seen when light is transmitted through glass.
Surface color is the color that can be recognized by reflecting only light of a specific wavelength when light hits an object. For example, the red color of an apple absorbs colors other than red, so it appears red because it reflects only red.
On the other hand, transmissive color is the color that can be recognized by the light that is transmitted without being absorbed when light passes through a semi-transparent object such as liquid, glass, or plastic. For example, the green color of melon soda looks green because it absorbs colors other than green and reflects only green.
What is RGB?
RGB is a standard method of expressing colors when handling graphics, images, videos, etc. on a computer, and is a combination of three colors, the initials of which are Red, Green, and Blue. With RGB, the more colors you mix, the brighter the color becomes. It is also called “additive mixture” or “additive color mixture”.
Televisions, computers, and smartphone displays reproduce colors with the three primary colors of red, green, and blue, and the color mode used for web design is RGB.
What is CMYK?
CMYK is mainly used for computers and TVs, while CMYK is for expressing colors in printed matter. CMYK is an acronym for “C=Cyan”, “M=Magenta”, “Y=Yellow”, and “K=Key Plate”.
CMYK is called “subtractive mixing” or “subtractive color mixing” because the more colors are mixed, the darker the color becomes. By mixing 100% each of cyan, magenta, and yellow, you can create a color close to black, but it won’t be black.
Therefore, there is “K = Key Plate (black)” as a color that interpolates the three primary colors. Since there is a key plate, let’s assume that black can be expressed well in printed matter. Printed materials such as leaflets, catalogs, and posters are generally reproduced in CMYK. Also, the color mode used for DTP design is CMYK.
Difference between RGB and CMYK
RGB is a color scheme used on screens such as computer displays.
On the other hand, CMYK is a color development method used for printed materials such as paper.
Therefore, mutual compatibility is low, and if you print what you see on the screen as it is, it will look different because the representation on the screen and the representation on paper are different.
What are RGB colors?
RGB colors are the three primary colors of light. It refers to the three primary colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue).
Computer monitors and smartphone displays express colors using these RGB colors.
It is said to be “additive color mixture” that the color becomes brighter and closer to white as each element is overlapped.
What are CMYK colors?
CMY colors are the three primary colors of colorants. Refers to the three primary colors of C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow).
It is called “subtractive color mixture” that the more you mix each element, the higher the density becomes and the closer to black it becomes.
In reality it will be muddy gray, not black.
In printing, black is added to cyan, magenta, and yellow to make black closer to real black.
About color space
RGB and CMYK have different color expressions (color spaces) that can be expressed. RGB has a wider range of color expression than CMYK, and can express vividly.
Even in RGB, there are different color gamuts. For example, Adobe RGB and sRGB.
sRGB can be displayed on many displays, so it’s ideal for things like displaying images on the web.
Adobe RGB, on the other hand, can display a wider color spectrum, but not on all monitors. So if you know your material is printed, you can also design in Adobe RGB and print using Adobe RGB instead of CMYK if your printer is compatible with this color space. It is possible to.
Which format, RGB or CMYK, is supported depends on the type of printer.
Therefore, when printing data created in RGB, the parts that cannot be reproduced are replaced with similar colors, resulting in dull colors overall. The data created by a personal computer is RGB data. However, it is also possible to easily convert to CMYK data.
How to convert between RGB and CMYK
This section explains how to convert between RGB and CMYK. This time, I will explain the conversion method in Photoshop and Illustrator, which are representative design software.
For Photoshop
First, select “File” on the image editing screen.
Hovering over “Color Mode” in the document displays “CMYK Color” and “RGB Color”. If “RGB color” is checked, you can see that it is RGB data.
To convert this data to CMYK data, check “CMYK Color”.
There is a slight color change when running. After that, if “CMYK” is displayed on the editing screen, the conversion is successful.
For Illustrator
For Illustrator, the procedure is almost the same as for Photoshop. Select “Image” on the image editing screen.
Hover over “Document Color Mode” to see different formats. If “RGB color” is checked, it indicates that this image is RGB data.
Check “CMYK Color” to convert this data to CMYK data.
Before execution, a pop-up will appear informing you that data conversion will take place. If there is no problem, click “OK”.
The color will change from before conversion. After that, if “CMYK” is displayed on the editing screen, the conversion is successful.
Read Also: Explain How To Make A Brand Book?
What happens when you print in RGB
It is possible to print in RGB color mode, but the colors will not be accurate and there will be color differences. Also, when converting the colors of an RGB image to CMYK and printing, the colors may not turn out as expected. Please note that blue and green may deteriorate.
Which design is better, RGB or CMYK?
It depends on what you’re designing and what you’re going to use it for (print versus digital, etc.). When designing for digital media, you should always use RGB color mode.
Also, if you need to print, in most cases it’s better to work in RGB and convert to CMYK just before sending it to the printer. This is because with RGB, you can design in full color and have a higher degree of color freedom.
However, sometimes it is better to design using the CMYK color mode. If the majority of your design is “grey”, you may want to consider designing in CMYK.
Gray is one of the most difficult colors to control properly in the printing process. When printing grays using the RGB color mode, the image often appears pink. However, in CMYK, black is used to control the process, so grays can be printed beautifully.
summary
In this article, I explained about “RGB” and “CMYK”. Both “RGB” and “CMYK” were systems for expressing colors. These are essential for anyone who wants to have a decent design and are essential for web design. If you understand the two characteristics of RGB and CMYK, you will be able to print convincing images and designs. It is important to consider colors from the user’s point of view when designing.
