Skip to main content
CMYK and RGB in print

What's the difference between CMYK and RGB and how does it impact your printed book?

L
Written by Lewis McCarthy
Updated over 5 years ago

CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black while RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue. CMYK is the standard colour mode to use when printing images, while RGB is the standard colour mode for on-screen images.

This means that if your project is designed using the RGB colour mode, it may look slightly different on screen compared to when it is printed on paper. To help avoid inconsistencies, you should convert your images to CMYK before sending them our way. 

How can I convert my images?

Adobe Photoshop

If you are using Adobe Photoshop then you can easily change the images from RGB to CMYK. All you need to do is select image in the top menu, select ‘Mode’ and then choose ‘CMYK Color’. This will mean your images are in CMYK format when you send them our way.

Abode Illustrator

Similar to Photoshop, you can change the format in just a few clicks. Select ‘File’ and then find the option called ‘Document Color Mode’. One you hover over this option, you will see ‘CMYK Color’ or ‘RGB Color’. Click on ‘CMYK Color’ and you’re ready to go.

Did this answer your question?