CMYK

CMYK

(Cyan Magenta Yellow blacK) The color space used for commercial printing and most color computer printers. In theory, cyan, magenta and yellow (CMY) can print all colors, but inks are not pure and black comes out muddy. The black ink (K) is required for quality printing. See color space, RGB and ink coverage.

Separated Colors

Each of the four colors are printed independently, but blend together to form all colors. (Image courtesy of Intergraph Computer Systems.)

A CMYK Printer

Typical of a color laser printer, this Tally 8106 printer uses four separate cartridges: one each for cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). Unlike the commercial print process, which prints the paper four times, in a color laser printer, each of the four inks is applied to the drum before the page is printed.

CMYK Ribbon

This shows a four-color dye sublimation or thermal wax transfer ribbon where four panels of dye or wax-based ink exist for each page, and each panel is as large as the page. After each page is printed, the ribbon is advanced to the next four-color ribbon set.

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(graphics)

CMYK - cyan, magenta, yellow, key. A colour model that describes each colour in terms of the quantity of each secondary colour (cyan, magenta, yellow), and "key" (black) it contains. The CMYK system is used for printing. For mixing of pigments, it is better to use the secondary colours, since they mix subtractively instead of additively. The secondary colours of light are cyan, magenta and yellow, which correspond to the primary colours of pigment (blue, red and yellow). In addition, although black could be obtained by mixing these three in equal proportions, in four-colour printing it always has its own ink. This gives the CMYK model. The K stands for "Key' or 'blacK,' so as not to cause confusion with the B in RGB. Alternative colour models are RGB and HSB.