Difference between RGB and CMYK? what should i use?

Question

I have to print visiting cards, leaflets. I made these in adobe illustrator. shoud i use RGB or CMYK? what is good for monitor and what i good for offset printing?

Answer 1

RGB is monitor only. There are instances when you can and should do something in RGB (obviously if something is only going to be used on the Web for example, so it is never intended for print, and if working in Photoshop and using a desktop inkjet printer, because they do the conversion in software). But since you are using Illustrator, and intended to get things offset printed, you need to do it in CMYK, which is what basic offset printing uses. Four plates are generated, one each for Cyan Magenta, Yellow and Black.

Note also that you need to be careful about your text. You will want to convert all text that is black to 100% black (100% K), not Rich black. Rich black is a CMYK mix, and a big pain with text because of registration problems. Printers hate Rich black text because no registration is absolutely perfect (consider that the paper passes over 4 different plates, so there is always a bit of shift or stretch) and when you have Rich black text, you can get color haloing. By making sure that all text is set at 100% black (sometimes called True Black) the text is printed only once, with the black plate. So you don't get the color mix and the chance of haloing.

If you are having this offset printed professionally, be sure to talk to your printer, they can tell you how they want to get the file, and any special settings or things you need to do to the file. Many printers will handle all the settings needed, such as trapping, and do conversions, but some may ask you to do things to make sure the file comes to them clean.

Hope that helps

Answer 2

RGB is red/green/blue, the colors of light a monitor uses and mixes together to make various colors on screen.

CMYK is Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, the various ink colors a printer mixes together to make colors on printed material.

Make them in CMYK. It will still look different on screen than it does on paper, but it will be closer.

The difference is, one is creating color using light, one is creating color using the reflection of light off pigmentation.

Answer 3

CMYK since you are printing it.

CMYK stands for Cyan Magenta Yellow Black it's what ink a printer uses.

I have a dell 22" thats pretty good as long as it's calibrated.