CMYK Process Colors

The fundamental ink colors used in four-color printing, enabling a wide range of colors through mixing and overprinting.

Cyan

A blue-green color belonging to the cool color family. It serves as one of the fundamental colors for creating many other hues.

CMYK: C:100, M:0, Y:0, K:0

RGB: RGB(0, 255, 255)

HEX: #00FFFF

Characteristics: Cool tone, fundamental color

Magenta

A purplish-red color from the warm color family. When mixed with other colors, it can produce various shades of purple, red, and orange.

CMYK: C:0, M:100, Y:0, K:0

RGB: RGB(255, 0, 255)

HEX: #FF00FF

Characteristics: Warm tone, strong mixing properties

Yellow

A bright and vibrant color from the warm color family. When mixed with cyan and magenta, it can create many intermediate colors like green and orange.

CMYK: C:0, M:0, Y:100, K:0

RGB: RGB(255, 255, 0)

HEX: #FFFF00

Characteristics: Warm tone, high brightness

Key Black

Used to add depth and contrast, while helping achieve crisp edges and details in printing. Called 'Key' as it's typically used to align the other three colors.

CMYK: C:0, M:0, Y:0, K:100

RGB: RGB(0, 0, 0)

HEX: #000000

Characteristics: Adds depth and contrast

Color Value Reference Table

Comparison of CMYK, RGB, and HEX color values

Color	CMYK	RGB	HEX
Cyan	C:100, M:0, Y:0, K:0	RGB(0, 255, 255)	#00FFFF
Magenta	C:0, M:100, Y:0, K:0	RGB(255, 0, 255)	#FF00FF
Yellow	C:0, M:0, Y:100, K:0	RGB(255, 255, 0)	#FFFF00
Key Black	C:0, M:0, Y:0, K:100	RGB(0, 0, 0)	#000000

Important Notes

CMYK is a subtractive color model that relies on physical ink mixing
HEX/RGB is an additive color model used for screen display
Due to the difference in color gamut between CMYK and RGB/HEX, some colors may not match exactly when converted
Actual printing results may vary depending on devices, media, and ambient light

Color Model Overview

Understanding CMYK Process Colors in printing

CMYK Process Colors form the foundation of modern color printing. Each letter represents one of the four basic ink colors used in the printing process: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black). Through various combinations of these four colors, printers can reproduce a wide spectrum of colors visible to the human eye.

While digital displays use the RGB color model (additive color mixing), printed materials rely on CMYK (subtractive color mixing). This fundamental difference means that colors viewed on screen may appear slightly different when printed, making color management and proper conversion essential for professional printing.