Colour Systems for the Print Process

Digital Colour Theory - Subtractive and Addictive

Subtractive is an overlay of colours to create less light which is reflected. The colours become darker until you end up with black.

Subtractive is also another example of when you mix paint together, print a picture, or highlight a word on a page.

Addictive is the reverse of Subtractive, the more colours you add the lighter it becomes this occurs with televisions, and P.C monitors.

Colour Process

CMYK - Is a four colour process (cyan,magneta,yellow, and key black) CMYK is used in the most common printing processes called litho or offset litho.

RGB - (red, green, and blue) this process is screen based.

Greyscale - (Black and white continuous tone, any shade of grey such as a black
and white photograph.)

Spotcolour - this process is where one percific mixed ink is used to pick out a colour on the page seperate to the rest of the picture.

Duotone - this is where two colours are to make up the colour in the image.

Monochrome - this is printing in one colour for the whole image plus the material the image is printed on.