Converting RGB colors into CMYK

RGB (Red, Green, Blue) and CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) are two of the most popular color models used in digital and print media. While RGB is primarily used for displaying colors on screens, CMYK is used for printing. Therefore, if you’re designing a project for print, you’ll need to convert your RGB colors to CMYK. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to do just that.

Understanding RGB and CMYK

Before we dive into the conversion process, let’s quickly review what RGB and CMYK are and how they work.

RGB is an additive color model, meaning it works by adding light to create colors. It’s based on the three primary colors of light - red, green, and blue. When these colors are combined at full intensity, they create white light. When they are all absent, the result is black. RGB is the color model used in electronic devices, such as computer monitors, TVs, and digital cameras.

RGB to CMYK

CMYK, on the other hand, is a subtractive color model. It works by subtracting light to create colors. It’s based on the three primary colors of pigment - cyan, magenta, and yellow, plus black (which is represented by the letter K). When these colors are combined at full intensity, they create black. When they are all absent, the result is white. CMYK is the color model used in printing.

CMYK to RGB

The logic behind the conversion:

• #FFFFFF (RGB white) should map to (0,0,0,0) (CMYK white)
• #000000 (RGB black) should map to (0,0,0,100) (CMYK black)
• #FF0000 (RGB red) should map to (0,100,100,0) (CMYK red)
• #00FF00 (RGB green) should map to (100,0,100,0) (CMYK green)
• #0000FF (RGB blue) should map to (100,100,0,0) (CMYK blue)