When supplying digital files for full color printing, it is important you supply images and graphics in the correct mode or color space. Many software programs give you the choice to work in either the RGB or CMYK mode.

RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue, which are the primary colors of light. Computers display images on the computer screen as RGB color. Printing presses print full color pictures/images using a different set of colors called CMYK: Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow and Black - otherwise known as 4 color process. By combining different percentages of the four CMYK inks, the illusion of continuous tone in images is created.

At some stage in the design process, your images must be converted from RGB to CMYK in order to print them on a printing press. Unfortunately, not all colors in the RGB spectrum can be replicated in CMYK. When converting from RGB mode to CMYK mode, software programs get as close to original color as possible. Some colors convert very well whereas others do not. The sample shown on the right is an example of colors that do not convert well from RGB to CMYK.