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RGB vs CMYK: Screen Color vs Print Color

RGB and CMYK are two ways of making color, and they start from opposite ends. RGB begins with black (no light) and adds light; CMYK begins with white paper and subtracts light with ink. Understanding the difference explains why the same design can look vivid on screen and dull on paper.

Quick answer: RGB is the additive model used by screens: red, green and blue light combine to make color, and full values give white. CMYK is the subtractive model used by printers: cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks absorb light, and the paper's white shows through the gaps.

Additive light (RGB)

A screen emits light. With no light the pixel is black; adding red, green and blue in full gives white. Because it can emit bright, pure hues, RGB covers a large, luminous gamut — which is why neon colors exist on screen.

  • Additive: light is added
  • Black is the absence of light
  • Wide, bright gamut

Subtractive ink (CMYK)

A printer puts ink on white paper. Each ink absorbs (subtracts) part of the light, and what reflects back is the color you see. Adding all inks tends toward a muddy dark rather than a clean black, which is why a separate black (K) ink exists.

  • Subtractive: light is absorbed
  • White is the bare paper
  • Narrower, duller gamut

Why bright colors go out of gamut

Vivid greens, oranges and electric blues are emissive on screen. Ink can only reflect ambient light, so it cannot reach the same saturation. Those colors are called out of gamut for print and get pulled toward the nearest reproducible color.

Converting between them

A mathematical conversion (as this site's tools do) is a useful starting point, but a faithful print conversion goes through an ICC profile for the specific press and paper. Always let the printer make the final conversion for production work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which should I design in?
Design in RGB for anything that will be seen on a screen. For print, start in CMYK or convert early and check the results on the target stock.
Why did my green print badly?
Vivid screen greens are usually out of the print gamut. Adjust to a more muted green or accept the closest reproduced shade.
Can CMYK reproduce every RGB color?
No. CMYK cannot reach the brightest RGB colors. It is a smaller gamut, which is why out-of-gamut warnings exist in design software.

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