Indesign CS6: CMYK versus RGB

In this post I intended to explain
1) the differences between CMYK and RGB
and 2) how this affects ones work within programs like Indesign.

Key Terms:
CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key color model used in printing.
K (key): refers to black
RGB: Red, green and blue color model of what a computer screen uses.

Color models are very important as they dictate how color is reproduced in print and in web form. There are two dominant models that you will encounter CMYK and RGB. CMYK is a subtractive color model while RGB is an addictive color model.  You can think of this as pigments (like a painting) versus lights (like the pixels on this screen). When it boils down to it, it means that the blue one could choose in CMYK will not reproduce exactly in the RGB. Why does this matter for you?

Well put simply you will have to make a choice while using programs like Indesign. A decision that needs to also be influenced on how you intend to disperse your work (printed or digitally).

When you decide to open Indesign and go to the swatches you will see a menu that looks like the following:

Interestingly enough, all of the colors depicted here on the screen are being created by the RGB lights of ones screen but are displayed in a CMYK format because Indesign assumes you would like to print these colors. On closer examination you'll notice the red, green and blue selections aren't so great. I recommend deleting them (yes delete them) and find shades of those colors that are more pleasing for your purposes. To delete those colors have no document open, click on the bad colors holding the shift key to highlight and click the trash icon on the bottom right.

If, however, printing is not an important influence and you would indeed like to choose colors from the RGB model you can! Click the most right hand icon on the top of the swatches bar, click new color swatch and you'll be brought to a panel that looks like this:

You'll notice in this new panel there are tons of new color models to choose from. Although I won't explain all of them let me give you some info for future reference or just plain curiosity.

   Pantone: a standardized color system like CMYK that uses up to 13 base pigments and
    can generate metallics and fluorescents that can't be produced by CMYK.

   TRUMATCH: uses a simplified four color system and handles the black separately from
    theCMYK.

  HKS: contains 120 spot colors and like Pantone produces colors that can't be produced
   by CMYK.

Pantone in particular will be a future subject for discussion. But for now the key is to understand the different defaults for print and digital media and what that means for your use in the CS6 suite.