Expert: Amy - 10/28/2006

Question
Hi, I'm somewhat new to illustrator and have been teaching myself the basics.  
I'm unsure about the type of color mode (processed or spot colors) I should
be using for my artwork.  I would like to have my artwork printed (eventually
professionally) and also to be viewed on the web.  I'd like my colors to be the
most accurate across the board: on screen, in print and on the web.  What
would be  the best color mode for me?  I'm using a PowerMac G5 with Adobe
Creative Suite 2.

Thanks, Janeen  

Answer
Hi Janeen,

Across the board is sort of wishful thinking when you are dealing with the two media: print and screen. They are completely different concepts (inks and light) and therefore, the colors don't translate well.

For web graphics, you'll want to be working in RGB Document Color Mode with RGB colors. Spot colors translate fairly well, so you can use them in RGB if you like. If they look good, they look good, if they don't, they don't.

For print graphics printed at a professional print shop, you'll need to work in a CMYK Document Color Mode.

Depending on your print job specifications, requirements and/or budget, you'll either be using CMYK colors or Spot Colors (Pantone Solids).

For full color jobs (sometimes called "process" color) such as jobs that contain full color photographs, you'll want to make sure that the colors used are blends of CMYK inks. You'll use no spot colors. Downsides: Limited gamut. Can't achieve really bright greens, for example. If you own a copy of the Pantone Process Color guide booklet, which is a bunch of swatches, you'll see exactly what colors you are limited to. That's what the gamut warning in the Color Palette is all about.

For 2 or 3 color jobs, sometimes called black plus a color, or black plus two colors, etc., and for jobs with specialized requirements like t-shirt printing, you'll want to use spot colors. For example, if you have a 3 color business card (black + 2 PMS), you'll choose black (100%K) and then two colors out of your Pantone library. Many jobs use spot colors because of budget when you really want to use CMYK. You have to learn to be creative with how you use tints and percentages to achieve depth while only using those 3 very specific colors in your artwork. No CMYK mixtures (except black, of course) can be used in a spot color job.

There's also such thing as 5 plate printing (and 6 and 7, etc), where you can have process colors, then add a fifth spot color plate when you need a punch of color or a specific trademarked color somewhere in your art. Like an ad for Hewlett Packard, where they have photographs (4 plate process) and a logo that they want in their trademarked color (5th plate). It gets expensive.

Anyway, I am rambling. Web=RGB. Print=CMYK.

If you are going to have things printed digitally (like on a Canon) you also don't have to worry about what colors your artwork contains because everything is converted to CMYK. But don't design in RGB or you'll be disappointed or surprised by your results. It's still a CMYK process using toner instead of ink.

I will be happy to offer you more advice if you have specific graphics that you want to discuss!

-Amy