Why Do Printers Use CMYK?
Some commercial printers will print in RGB, but most (including www.printlink.ie) will only print in CMYK. This is because CMYK is easier to standardise, thanks to the spectrum of colours available. That means we can keep all of your print products looking perfectly consistent throughout the print run. There are so many minute variations possible in RGB that it is nigh on impossible to guarantee consistency of colours across a print run, or even between different print runs.
CYMK can be monitored using a GMG scanner and the related software. This allows each printing press to be calibrated to produce a standard colour, regardless of each machine’s individual characteristics. This is why commercial printers use CMYK most frequently, as it helps to ensure consistency of colour across print runs and also across machines.
Another big reason is because when you print onto paper, you’re adding pigmented colours onto a white canvas, making it darker – which is why we use subtractive, CMYK colours for printing.