What colors do I use? RGB vs. CMYK vs. PANTONE

shutterstock_150370286You’re looking at the computer monitor and your finished flyer looks colorful and vivid, but then you check out the printed version and it looks lighter and different. Your printer must be malfunctioning! Likely this isn’t the case. Depending on what colors you are using you may see differences in printing versus viewing on the screen. Why? Because color models matter in design.

RGB and CMYK are the two color models you likely hear about most often. In design, we commonly see the use of PANTONE colors. PANTONE is not a color model, but does provide multiple color options.

 

RGB – Red, green and blue, the additive primary colors that are mixed together to create an array of different colors

CMYK – Cyan, magenta, yellow and black, the standard color model used for printing full-color documents

PANTONE – PMS or Pantone Matching System, an array of colors used for printing, but can also be used for paint, fabrics and plastics

When do I know to use CMYK, RGB or PANTONE?

Well the answer to this question is variable but there are basic rules you can follow.

Web Design – use RGB
When designing a website, HTML email or graphics for a website (jpg, png, gif) RGB is the preferred color mode. This is because most outputs (electronic displays, tablets, monitors) use RGB color space, so the graphics and colors should be set to this mode for best viewing.

Print Design – use CMYK or PANTONE
Printers mix colors together to create the color that you put into design. CMYK works well with subtractive color schemes—aka color mixing—to produce the desired color.

Often times company logos are created using PANTONE colors. When creating a master logo, or color palette, for a company it’s a good rule of thumb to work with PANTONE color swatches. You also have the option to convert PANTONE colors to a CMYK equivalent. While this won’t be an exact match, it will be very close.

Microsoft Office Suite – use RGB or CMYK
For images in Microsoft Office, it is suggested to use common web formats such as jpg, png and gif. When using these “for web” image formats, for a close color match, it may be in your best interest to use RGB color for fonts and backgrounds, especially if you are creating a presentation that will be viewed on a screen or computer. However, RGB and CMYK options are both available for use.

If you are really unsure about which color model is best for your next project, just run your question by the Mopdog pack by commenting below. We would be happy to help you out!

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