CMYK color model CMYK color model The CMYK color model (process color, four color) is a subtractive color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four inks used in some color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. The CMYK model works by partially or entirely masking colors on a lighter, usually white, background. The ink reduces the light that would otherwise be reflected. Such a model is called "subtractive" because inks "subtract" the colors red, green and blue from white light. White light minus red leaves cyan, white light minus green
Color printing printing until the 1930s. Typically color separation is the responsibility of the color separator. This includes cleaning up the file to make it print ready and creating a proof for the prepress approval process. The process of color separation starts by separating the original artwork into red, green, and blue components (for example by a digital scanner). Before digital imaging was developed, the traditional method of doing this was to photograph the image three times, using a filter for each color. However this is achieved, the desired result is three grayscale images, which represent the red, green, and blue (RGB)