When you are designing your labels in your favorite computer graphics program, it is important that you use the right color mode settings. Creating your artwork files in the right color space will help to avoid surprises in the final printed result.
CMYK
Here at United Label Corporation, we use a 4-color printing process (also known as CYMK printing). CMYK is the acronym for the four printing colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and ‘key’ for black. These inks printed in different amounts producing a range of colors.
RGB
We often receive graphic files and artwork designed in RGB (red, green, blue) color space instead of CYMK. It is from these same users we hear “Our artwork looks great on my computer screen, but when the artwork is printed on the label, it does not look the same as it did on my screen.” Here is the explanation:
Have you ever walked into electronics store like Best Buy and looked at the different televisions they have on display? Different sizes, brands, all tuned to the same station. You may even notice two televisions, made by the same company with the same exact specifications, next to one another. Chances are none of these televisions will display their colors exactly the same. This range of display is also true for images viewed on a computer screen.
In addition to the variations described above, the difference between a digital file saved as an CYMK image may vary greatly from that same image saved as a RGB image. Simply put, RGB is how color is created with light (such as that used by your computer monitor). On the other hand, CYMK is how color is reproduced on the printed page. RGB has a wide “gamut” or range of colors it can reproduce. By comparison, CYMK has a much smaller range of colors it can reproduce accurately. So a color in CMYK, it can always be reproduced with RGB. However, the reverse is not always true.
But We Have Spot Colors, Too
Our process color printing allows the use of spot colors. For spot colors, a specific ink color is chosen, usually by a Pantone color. For brands that want an exact color spot color is a great choice.
Have a question about your label artwork and CMYK Label Printing? Before you get your labels printed, please give us a call here at United Label Corporation and we can answer any questions you might have.