CMYK colour charts and values
Colour is one of the most misunderstood and error-prone areas in printing. We've put together these CMYK guidelines based on our experience to help you understand key parts of how printed colour works and why it may differ from what you expect.
- Reading these colour charts
- CMYK black
- CMYK reds
- CMYK oranges and browns
- CMYK yellows and greens
- CMYK blues
- CMYK purples
- CMYK pinks
- CMYK golds
- CMYK silvers
- CMYK bright colours
Reading colour charts
Certain colours pose a greater challenge to replicate perfectly in print. The charts presented below feature a selection of CMYK colours proven to be reliable for offset printing.
Although exact colour matching is beyond what we can offer, we do suggest these relatively safe options for your designs. Using these charts can help you achieve better consistency in accurate colour reproduction.
The 'base' colour is shown on the left side of each row, with the colour values decreasing gradually as you move to the right. The charts' lower rows display secondary colours.
Be aware that the settings of your monitor might influence how colours appear on your screen compared to their appearance in the final printed product. Differences can also arise from using inkjet or laser printers, depending on their configurations. If achieving the exact shade is crucial for your project, we advise purchasing a print proof to see the actual print outcome.
CMYK black
Standard black (the 'K' in CMYK) is essentially composed of various shades of grey, and its depth is determined by density, measured on a scale from 1 to 100.
Rich black is achieved by mixing all the CMYK colours together, yielding a deeper and more saturated shade. It's important to avoid overloading the paper by maxing out all colours to 100. For optimal outcomes, experiment with the recommended values in the chart provided below.
It's important to be mindful when darkening your colours with black, as it can lead to your colours looking muddy.
CMYK reds
Red may sometimes come out looking orange or rusty in print. In such cases, it's crucial to adjust the magenta and yellow levels. A red that seems too pink indicates an excess of magenta, whereas an orange tint suggests the yellow level is too elevated.
It's important to be mindful when darkening your colours with black, as it can lead to your colours looking muddy.
CMYK oranges and browns
Achieving a vibrant orange is straightforward: mix two parts yellow with one part magenta (0-50-100-0). Adjusting the ratios of these colours can lead to mossy greens, a rich rust colour, or earthy browns.
It's crucial to exercise caution when adding black to darken colours, as it can quickly turn them muddy.
Combining cyan and yellow yields beautiful green shades. For the brightest shades, use equal measures of both, ensuring they're well-saturated.
Darkening yellow requires careful handling—it can swiftly shift towards a mustard hue. When heavily mixed, yellow can take on more of an orange or green tint.
It's important to be mindful when darkening your colours with black, as it can lead to your colours looking muddy.
CMYK yellows and greens
Cyan and yellow together create a beautiful green shade. For the brightest and most vivid green, use them in equal quantities and make them dense. However, exercise caution when attempting to darken yellow; it can quickly shift towards a sage or mustard shade. In thicker mixes, yellow may take on more of an orange or green tint.
It's important to be mindful when darkening your colours with black, as it can lead to your colours looking muddy.
CMYK blues
In the CMYK colour spectrum, achieving a precise shade of blue can be challenging. For the most accurate representation of blue, it's advisable to use balanced and even mixtures, such as 100-50-0-0. Otherwise, this can result in your blues leaning towards purple or green.
It's important to be mindful when darkening your colours with black, as it can lead to your colours looking muddy.
CMYK purples
Regal shades of purple work well with CMYK printing. Beginning with a magenta to cyan ratio of 3:2 is a good choice to start with (79-100-0-0).
It's important to be mindful when darkening your colours with black, as it can lead to your colours looking muddy.
CMYK pinks
In CMYK printing, vibrant pinks are all about the magenta. For your pinks to truly stand out, ensure a high magenta level while keeping yellow, cyan, and black to a minimum. Too much yellow will give your pinks, red hues, while too much cyan can turn them a purple shade.
It's important to be mindful when darkening your colours with black, as it can lead to your colours looking muddy.
CMYK golds
A genuine metallic gold effect cannot be achieved using CMYK printing; however, a flat or non-metallic metal (NMM) version of gold is achievable, as illustrated below.
For an authentic metallic finish, incorporating a metallic Pantone spot ink into your design is necessary.
Foils are also available for some products.
It's important to be mindful when darkening your colours with black, as it can lead to your colours looking muddy.
CMYK silvers
Similar to gold shades, achieving a metallic silver effect isn’t possible with CMYK printing. However, flat or NMM (non-metallic metal) colours can be achieved, as illustrated in the chart below.
For an authentic metallic finish, incorporating a metallic Pantone spot ink into your design is necessary.
Foils are also available for some products.
It's important to be mindful when darkening your colours with black, as it can lead to your colours looking muddy.
CMYK bright colours
Looking for colours that pop from the page? While CMYK can't quite match the vibrant glow of RGB colours, the following colour combinations will guarantee the most striking outcomes for your print products.
