| RGB & CMYK (what we print in) are two different | | | | inks, you can create most other colors. All commercial, |
| color models, and understanding the difference can | | | | full-color printing uses CMYK inks. |
| mean producing a great-looking card rather than a | | | | Most colors created on the RGB monitor can be |
| faded, disappointing one. | | | | duplicated using CMYK inks, but not all. As your RGB |
| The RGB color mode is used by light emitting monitors | | | | monitor is generating light, it can create some bright |
| (including cameras, TVs, etc) . A monitor uses very | | | | colors that can't be duplicated on any CMYK printing |
| small bands of red, green, and blue light to generate | | | | press. Paper can only reflect light, so if you print the |
| color. RGB is additive because when you add all three | | | | super-bright RGB colors in CMYK, they get a lot more |
| colors together, you get white light; when you turn off | | | | faded and dull. |
| all three lights, you get black. By mixing varying | | | | |
| amounts of red, green, and blue light, you can create | | | | If you're designing artwork in an RGB color space, we'll |
| most other colors. | | | | have to convert it to CMYK to print. Depending on |
| Paper on the other hand can't generate light. It relies on | | | | your artwork, the colors might shift a little or a lot. |
| reflected light, and the subtractive color model CMYK. | | | | When sending artwork for printing to us, you must |
| When you add cyan, magenta, and yellow together | | | | provide all your images in CMYK. This way, if there |
| (CMY), you get a color close to black, and when you | | | | are any color shifts, you'll be able to see them and |
| don't lay down any ink, you get white-that is, the white | | | | take steps to correct that as best as possible. If you |
| of the paper. A fourth color, black, is added for | | | | supply RGB images, they will be converted to CMYK |
| economical and practical reasons, and is referred to by | | | | and color changes will likely happen. Most likely the |
| ‘K' so as not to be confused with blue. By mixing | | | | converted artwork will not be as good as the original . |
| varying amounts of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black | | | | It's much better for you to supply CMYK files up front. |
