color spaces

The two color spaces we will discuss here are RGB and CMYK. RGB, short for Red, Green, Blue, is the color space of digital cameras and electronic displays like monitors, and therefore is used for websites or anything electronically displayed. This is the color space of light- RGB together would give you white light. CMYK, short for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, are the four printing inks. When mixed together, CMYK would give you black.

RGB files, shown on a monitor, are lit from the back and will always appear brighter and less muddy than CMYK. CMYK inks are absorbed by the paper or other material they are printed on and will never be as vibrant as their RGB counterparts. It is possible to display CMYK color on monitors, too, but even there they are not as bright or vibrant as RGB color. 

Printing done in CMYK is referred to as 4 color (4C) and is standard for digital printing, and most offset printing as well. You can save money on offset printing by reducing the number of colors, since each ink is laid down in a separate pass and the press must be cleaned between each ink. Pantone Inks (often referred to as PMS colors) are manufactured colors, similar to buying a Benjamin Moore or other name brand paint in a store. Large corporations will specify Pantone colors in their logos and other corporate ID to maintain consistency. You can approximate Pantone colors by breaking them into the closest CMYK equivalent, so they are a great way to discuss color between client and designer, especially if you have a PMS color book to view. CMYK versions are not as pure or bright as their original Pantone colors, but they allow you to use color in other parts of your document without paying for a fifth color (CMYK plus a Pantone color.)

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