RGB vs CMYK — differences, a side-by-side table, and when to use each.
RGB and CMYK are the two color models you meet most often. RGB mixes light on screens; CMYK mixes ink on paper. They cover different ranges of color, which is why a bright on-screen design can look muted once it's printed.
RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue. It is an additive model: start from black and add colored light to reach white. Each channel runs 0–255 (or 0–100%). Screens, cameras and the web all use RGB, and it covers a wider range of vivid colors than print can reproduce.
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black). It is a subtractive model: start from white paper and add ink to absorb light, reaching darker colors. Each channel is 0–100%. Printers use CMYK, and its gamut is smaller, so some bright RGB colors can't be matched exactly.
| RGB | CMYK | |
|---|---|---|
| Color mixing | Additive (adds light) | Subtractive (adds ink) |
| Starts from | Black (no light) | White (blank paper) |
| Medium | Screens, web, digital | Physical print |
| Channels | Red, Green, Blue | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black |
| Typical range | 0–255 per channel | 0–100% per channel |
| Gamut | Wider (more vivid colors) | Narrower |
| Use it for | Anything viewed on a screen | Anything sent to a printer |
Use RGB for everything digital: websites, apps, social graphics, video and anything displayed on a screen. HEX codes are just RGB written in hexadecimal, so web work is RGB end to end.
Use CMYK when your design will be physically printed — business cards, brochures, packaging, posters. Convert to CMYK before sending to the printer so you can preview and adjust any colors that fall outside the printable gamut, rather than letting the printer guess.