Inks & the CMY colour model

The CMY colour model deals with a subtractive method of colour mixing. It can be used to explain and provide practical methods of combining three transparent inks and filters (cyan, magenta and yellow) to produce a wide range of other colours and particularly to produce realistic effects when printing digital images onto highly reflective white paper.

• The primary colours in the CMY colour model are cyan, magenta and yellow.
• The CMY colour model is a subtractive colour model used with transparent or translucent inks or filters.
• Meanwhile, the CMYK colour model (sometimes called four-colour or process printing) uses the same three primary colours as CMY but uses a fourth component, black ink (K), to increase the density of darker colours and blacks.
• The CMYK colour model along with its system of notation enables an exact and reproducible approach to colour printing and other similar applications.
• The CMYK colour model is deeply embedded in all contemporary digital printer technologies and underpins industrial standards for the printing industry.
• Find out more here https://lightcolourvision.org/dictionary/definition/cmy-colour-model/

A subtractive colour model combines different hues of a colourant such as a pigment, paint, ink, dye or powder to produce other colours.

• CMYK is a subtractive colour model.
• CMYK pigments are the standard for colour printing because they have a larger gamut than RGB pigments.
• CMYK printing typically uses white paper with good reflective properties and then adds cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink or toner to produce colour.
• Highlights are produced by reducing the amount of coloured ink and printing without black to allow the maximum amount of light to reflect off the paper through the ink.
• Mid tones rely on the brilliance and transparency of the pigments and the reflectivity of the paper to produce fully saturated colours.
• Shadows are produced by adding black to both saturated and desaturated hues.

A colour model is a system or framework used to understand, organise, and manipulate colour. It ranges from basic concepts, such as the sequence of colours in a rainbow, to more advanced models like RGB, CMYK, and CIE, which are essential for accurate colour reproduction in various fields, including digital media, printing, and manufacturing.

• A colour model, underpinned by colour theory, provides a precise and replicable approach to understanding:
  • How the human eye perceives light and interprets colour.
  • Different types of colour, including those produced by mixing lights, pigments, or inks.
  • How to manage the diverse ways colour is processed by devices such as cameras, digital screens, and printers.
• Colour models enable us to:
  • Make sense of colour in relation to human vision and the world around us.
  • Use colours in logical, predictable, and replicable ways.
  • Understand how to mix specific colours, whether using lights, pigments, inks, or dyes.
  • Specify colours using names, codes, notations, or equations.
  • Organise and apply colour for different purposes, from fabrics and interiors to vehicles.

• For more information see https://lightcolourvision.org/dictionary/definition/colour-model/