CMYK.

Cyan-magenta-yellow-black. The four colours in print-oriented subtractive colour systems.

CMYK is a an important model for computer systems used in printing. Each of the four colours is assigned its own colour channel which can be manipulated independently.

Cyan, magenta and yellow cover the majority of colours in the spectrum. White is easily handled by simply using white paper and leaving it blank. But black is a problem. Colour dyes are simply not accurate enough, and so when you combine cyan, magenta and yellow inks you end up with a sort of murky brown colour. For that reason a fourth channel and ink of colour, pure black, is required.

cf. subtractive colour, bit depth, RGB.

Entry last updated 2002-04-03. Term 228 of 1487.

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