OUGD404 - RGB Vs GMYK

OUGD404

RGB vs GMYK

RGB is a colour additive system consisting of red, green and blue light, which when added together in different ways creates an array of colours. This system is primarily used in electronic imaging and display such as on computer and television screens. RGB works on the principle of Tristimulus Values which states that any colour can be produced using the primary colour red, green and blue. Red, green and blue can be considered to be unit values and the relative intensities of these primaries can be considered as their Tristimulus value.

GMYK is a subtractive colour model which is used in printing. CMYK refers to the 4 ink colours used in this model: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key. The subtractive nature of the model refers to the subtraction of brightness from white.

Monitors emit light whereas inked paper absorbs or reflects specific wavelengths, with cyan, magenta and yellow pigments serving as filters which subtract varying degrees of red, green and blue from white light to produce a range of colours. Both systems are limited to the visual spectrum although RGB has a larger range. This means that colours displayed on a monitor may not be the same as that printed in a publication.