CMYK vs RGB – whats the issue? Simply put as per the picture above, your computer monitor shows colours made up of the 3 RGB LEDs, but when we print, we blend 4 ink colours, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key Black, to make Full Colour Process.
The important thing when preparing artwork for print is to remember that RGB display, based on light, can show some colours much brighter than they would otherwise appear on paper made up of CMYK. In Adobe Photoshop, choosing Image….Mode….Convert to CMYK will show you the difference.
Often, then going to Image….Adjustments…..Brightness and Contrast and increasing both settings by 10 will restore the “lost” brightness.
If you submit artwork to us in an RGB format, we will make the conversion free of charge for you (we cannot print without doing so). If it appears visibly darker we may contact you, but if you have some hidden RGB elements in a complex document, it might not be noticed.
Therefore it is recommended you perform this conversion yourself and ensure you are happy with the impact on your print. If you need to reproduce a specific bright colour such as green, orange or purple, you may wish to consider using a Spot Colour.