Understanding Color Models
Understanding Color Models
A color model is a system used to describe a color. The three we will focus on in this blog are RGB, CMYK, and Pantone. Each of these models defines colors through the use of specific color components. It can be confusing to understand, so I am breaking it down for you.
The RGB Color Model
Red | Green | Blue
The RGB color model uses the components red (R), green (G), and blue (B) to define the amounts of red, green, and blue light in a given color. RGB incorporates light to combine colors on PC monitors for digital viewing. Values for each component are expressed as numbers ranging from 0 to 255. The combination of these components defines a single color. The RGB color model offers the widest range of colors and it is the color profile used by digital devices and screens. In other words, RGB logo files and artwork should be used for all digital work.
RGB is an additive color model. In such models, color is produced from transmitted light. RGB is therefore used on monitors, where red, blue, and green lights are blended in various ways to reproduce a wide range of colors. When red, blue, and green lights are combined at their maximum intensities, the eye perceives the resulting color as white. In theory, the colors are still red, green, and blue, but the pixels on a monitor are too close together for the eye to differentiate the three colors. When the value of each component is 0, which signifies an absence of light, the eye perceives the color as black.
The CMYK Color Model
Cyan | Magenta | Yellow | Black
CMYK pertains to the four ink colors applied to color printing — cyan (c), magenta (m), yellow (y), and black (k) — and is the standard color profile for print. Values for these components range from 0 to 100 and represent percentages.
CMYK is a subtractive color model. When color (ink) is added to a surface, such as white paper. The color then “subtracts” brightness from the surface. When the value of each color component (C,M,Y) is 100, the resulting color is black. When the value of each component is 0, no color is added to the surface, so the surface itself is revealed — in this case, the white paper. Black (K) is included in the color model for printing purposes because black ink is more neutral and darker than blending equal amounts of cyan, magenta, and yellow. In addition, black ink is usually less expensive than using colored ink. For a rich black values for C,M,Y, and K will be used.
The Pantone Color System
Here to make things more confusing are Pantone colors! Pantone colors are associated with a color matching system, the Pantone Matching System. This is where inks are created into distinct shades. The Pantone Color System, or PMS, is a standardized color matching system that was devised to help printers and designers to specify and control colors for printing projects. The Pantone Color System allows you to specify colors that cannot be mixed in traditional CMYK.
The standardization of the colors takes out all of the guesswork, providing consistent artwork or brand logos. Printing Pantone colors guarantees a consistent color match every time. There are over 1,000 colors identified in the Pantone Color Matching System, including metallic and fluorescent colors. The solid palette is also identified by a suffix following the color. The suffix code refers to the paper stock on which the color is printed; C stands for coated paper, M is matte paper, and U is uncoated paper.
