CMYK and RGB
RGB is the display's color space. CMYK is the color space for printing. Bright screen colors can become more subdued on paper.
Steps in brief
- Use CMYK settings if the program allows it.
- Avoid neon-like RGB colors if the shade needs to be reproduced exactly.
- Keep the small black text plain black.
- Open the PDF and check the colors as a whole.
- If necessary, ask before production.
RGB looks brighter on the screen
The screen makes light, the paper reflects light. Therefore, neon-like shades are not always reproduced in the same way in the print.
CMYK is safe for printing
A PDF made for printing should be prepared in CMYK format if the program allows it. If you send RGB material, the colors may have to be converted.
Small black text is kept clear
Small black text usually works best as simple black, not a mixture of many colors. This makes the text sharper.
Right
CMYKhallittu painoväri
CMYK artwork and black text are controlled.
Not this
RGB neonmuuttuu painossa
Neon RGB looks strong on screen, but changes in print.
Next guide:Image resolution
