CMYK vs RGB
Why your screen colors look different in print
Screen colors (additive light)
Two different color worlds
Your screen and a printing press create color in completely opposite ways.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) — screens emit light. Mix all three at full intensity and you get white. This is called additive color — adding light creates brightness.
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) — printers lay down ink. Mix all four and you get a muddy black. This is subtractive color — each ink layer absorbs (subtracts) light.
RGB original — how these colors look on your screen
Why colors shift
RGB can display colors that CMYK physically cannot reproduce with ink. Vivid neon greens, electric blues, and hot pinks exist in RGB's wider range (called the "gamut") but fall outside what CMYK can print.
When an RGB file hits the press, those out-of-gamut colors get pulled to the nearest printable equivalent. The result: that glowing electric blue becomes a slightly duller, darker blue. It's not a mistake — it's physics.
How to work in CMYK
Adobe Illustrator / Photoshop: File → Document Color Mode → CMYK Color. Design in CMYK from the start to avoid surprises.
Canva: Download → Color Profile → CMYK (requires Canva Pro). Free Canva exports in RGB only.
Procreate: Settings → Color Profile → select a CMYK profile (FOGRA39 recommended for offset printing).
If you've already designed in RGB, convert to CMYK and check for any dull or shifted colors before exporting. Adjust those colors manually — your eyes are the best judge.
Don't panic about color shifts
Most designs look beautiful in CMYK. The shift is usually subtle — a slightly warmer blue, a slightly softer green. If you're uploading an RGB file, our preflight scanner will flag it with a gentle warning. We'll still print it perfectly — the conversion just happens on our end instead of yours.