RGB vs CMYK
- The RGB color model is additive, while the CMYK color model is subtractive.
- The RGB color system uses white to represent all primary colors and black to represent black in the absence of light.
- CMYK, on the other hand, uses white as the natural color of the print background and black as a combination of colored inks.
- RGB color models are used by graphic designers and print providers for any type of media that transmits light. Because digital media emits red, green, and blue light, RGB is perfect for digital design.
Difference Between RGB and CMYK
| RGB (RED, GREEN, BLUE) | CMYK (CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK) |
| Primary Color | Secondary color |
| 0 to 255 shades Total 256 shades | Scale on 0 to 100% |
| 16.7 million color | NA |
| Used for Screen Design Websites, Mobile apps Broadcast media | Used for Print Designs, Poster, Broucher Books, Magazines |
| Lights | Inks |
| Bright Shades | Dull shades |
| Natural | Artificial |
R R = 0 , G = 0 , B = 0Black color | C= 0 , M = 0 , Y= 0 , K = 100% Black color |
| R = 255 , G= 255 , B=255 White color | C= 0 , M = 0 , Y= 0 , K = 0 White color |
| R = 255 , G = 0 , B = 0 Red color | C= 0 , M = 100% , Y= 100% , K = 0 Red color |
| R = 0 , G = 0 , B = 255 Blue Color | C = 100% , M =100% , Y = 0 , K = 0 Blue Color |
| R = 0 , G = 255 , B = 255 Magenta | C = 0 , M =100% , Y = 0 , K = 0 Magenta |
| R = 255 , G = 255 , B = 0 Yellow | C = 0 , M =0 , Y = 100% , K = 0 Yellow |
| R = 0 , G = 255 , B = 0 Green | C = 100% , M =0 , Y = 100% , K = 0 Green |
RGB
In RGB color models, the red, green, and blue primary colors of light are added together in various ways to reproduce a wide range of colors. It is named after the three basic colors, red, green, and blue.
An RGB color model is primarily used for sensing, representing, and displaying images in electronic devices, such as televisions and computers, but has also been used in conventional photography. The RGB color model was already based on human perception of color before the electronic age.
CMYK
In color printing, the CMYK color model (also known as process color or four colors) is a subtractive color model based on the CMYK color model. The CMYK system refers to four ink plates: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
A CMYK model uses a light, usually light, background to mask colors. The ink reduces the amount of light that would otherwise be reflected. Red, green, and blue colors are subtracted from white light in such a subtractive model. White light minus red leaves is cyan, white light minus green leaves is magenta, and white light minus blue leaves is yellow.