RGB Color Model

Learn how to unlock the RGB color model when it comes to screen and digital printing. The RGB color model has both its advantages and disadvantages. RGB stands for red, green, and blue. These three colors combine to produce other colors. The colors combined during the printing process depend on the surface being printed on. The RGB color model is one of the most well-known color models. The RGB model is used for printing designs and graphics on digital and electronic devices such as computer monitors, TV screens, and digital cameras.

To get to the point of discussing the importance of the RGB color model and the limitations of this model in printing and packaging design, we need to learn about the basic elements of the RGB model. Next, let's look at all the details regarding this awesome color model.

Concept of Colors

It's best to understand first, in detail, what a color is before getting into the details of RGB and CMYK. Vision would be impossible without the aid of colors. The colors we see are basically radiations of light. As much as it is true that you have some control over what is eye-catching and grabs people's attention, mainly based on the use of color, you do so in part because of the way you absorb it with your eyes, then process it within your mind. Your mind processes all the information about colors that your brain has received.

What Is The RGB Color Model?

We should first look into exactly what RGB means. It is an acronym for Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B). This makes RGB a model that works by utilizing only 3 colors. We can generate countless numbers of new colors, based on the use of the three RGB colors in varying combinations. When you combine certain quantities of the same colors, you produce a new hue.

How Does RGB Work?

As kids, most of us learned about three magical colors that, when combined, create millions of other colors. However, in the digital world, creating colors for the screen works much differently than it did as kids, when we used the RGB color format and mixed lights.

The RGB color system has 0-225 intensity levels of cool red-green-blue colors, and when combined, creates approximately 16.77 million new colors. Also, on our computer screens, it is those tiny little dots (and pixels), coming together to form what we visually experience. Like an artist's brushstrokes, each of these dots is made up of a small amount of red, green, and blue light units, and together they create the beautiful, vibrant colors we see.

What Are The Limitations Of The GB Color Space?

The transition from digital design to printed output is an exercise in translating digital color. The RGB (Red Green Blue) color model used for creating digital content will typically NOT translate exactly onto paper, or any other type of printed material. The reason lies within the color gamut, which defines the scope of available colors when working digitally versus when working with physical materials (paper, etc.). Prior to having your digital creation produced, it is common for this digital creation to be converted from RGB to CMYK. This conversion is similar to a translator, trying to match the digital version of the color to its closest equivalent in the physical world. Creating in the CMYK color space is a guarantee that your artwork will represent the actual printed product as closely as the technology allows. The color harmony technique discussed here may be applied to either offset, flexographic, or digital printing processes, but ultimately represents how to ensure your design prints correctly, so as to create visual impact upon the final product.

Why Is The RGB Color Model Unsuitable For Use In Printing?

There is no worry if you have created an excellent design using the RGB printer; there is an answer to the problem. Most software has features that enable you to easily move from your creation in the RGB format to the CMYK format, which will allow your creation to be viewed in the same manner. The transition from RGB to CMYK can be compared to a translation process; a color fine-tuning to make sure your new creation is displayed at least as well as when it was in RGB format.

Unique RGB Color Combinations

A vast array of additional colors is available beyond the standard red, green, blue, yellow, magenta, cyan, white, and black found in many screen applications. This is possible due to the blending of various concentrations of these base colors to produce the exact shade desired.

To illustrate: the three primary colors (red, green, and blue) have six varying strengths, with each color representing percentages from 0-100% - in total, this equates to 216 different colors in theory.
In fact, because of hardware restrictions, these strengths may not be as precise.

Instead may appear as 0%, 2%, 10%, 28%, 57% and 100%. In other words, while certain colors will show a near-accurate representation, those that fall outside of the first 8 colors listed above may show less than accurate representations.

Fortunately, programmers, engineers, and researchers continue to explore methods to enhance color correction capabilities for both TV and computer displays. In addition to providing new tools and methods for enhancing color correction.

The programming community continues to advance the capabilities of computer and television displays through its continued efforts in the area of color correction. While exciting, the RGB model continues to present challenges to the field of printing and packaging.

Practical Uses Of RGB Printing

RGB is fundamentally an additive color model based on light (Red, Green, Blue) and is the standard for digital displays. Take a look at some of the following practical uses:

On Screens

We had talked about this before, but again I bring up that the most commonly used function of an RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color printer is viewing your digital images of new product packaging designs. Think of it working as you did before in those older CRT, newer LCD, and today’s LED displays that are everywhere.

The many pixels on each screen use a combination of these three colors to create the images and designs we see and enjoy every day. And this isn’t where this RGB color magic ends, because it works behind-the-scenes in the world of Component Video Display Signals too.

On Cameras

Digital Cameras have become the ultimate "color maestro" with their use of the RGB color model to process images utilizing an array of nifty image sensors. Today, RGB image sensors are essentially the detectives that determine just the proper exposure for your photos.

RGB has been the silent partner behind many of today's technological advancements; however, when it comes to printing and packaging, it is not the standard choice. I'm sure you wouldn't want your brand colors to be all over the place, as they lose their vibrancy and become dull and bizarre.

The CMYK color model provides the ideal combination of print quality and custom packaging results by providing the ultimate visual "VIP Treatment".

What Happens If Your Packaging Design Is in RGB?

Artwork packaged in RGB creates many of the production-related risks associated with color reproduction, as well as costs related to time and labor. Printers can't print RGB-based colors, so they have to convert them to CMYK; this is an automatic process that has no human oversight involved. When this happens, a lot of the time, you get colors that are not as vibrant, duller prints, and poor representation of your brand. Knowing what to expect will help you avoid mistakes in production at a later stage.

Automatic Color Conversion During Printing

When an image file does not get translated before printing, the press automatically converts from RGB to CMYK. It is done as it is printed by translating all of the colors to their closest ink equivalent. Many times, the designers intended vibrant colors will look duller and have less contrast due to the texture of the paperboard or if the paperboard is not coated.

Automatically converting also takes away the ability of the designer and buyer to be able to take advantage of testing and adjusting colors that are outside of the gamut through proofing. When images are translated manually prior to production, designers and buyers can view the results of those translations and make adjustments. It will produce a closer representation of what the end product will look like.

Visible Color Shift and Loss of Brightness

The reason for the brighter, more vibrant appearance of RGB-created colors on screen is due to the self-luminous nature of digital light. Therefore, once converted into printed form using ink, this luminosity is lost, and the overall visual impact diminishes in comparison to what it was digitally.

Inconsistent Brand Colors Across Packaging Runs

When using uncontrolled RGB graphics in your packaging design, you will experience variability in color between runs or on different printing equipment. Each printer and medium interprets the RGB to CMYK conversion differently, so you are going to have a product with color variation, from print to print.

If consumers see that the color variations of your boxes are not consistent, it will harm your brand's image and perception. Color consistency in packaging can be achieved by properly converting your artwork to standard CMYK or Pantone references. When you finalize your artwork and convert to CMYK references, this allows you to apply the same reference to all factories and media.

Increased Production Time and Reprint Costs

The use of RGB artwork has an impact on a project’s appearance as well as its time and money. If the printed color does not meet the client's expectation, there will be no option other than stopping production to make adjustments or print again.

These extra steps will require more materials and cause delays in shipping. Small variations when producing large quantities of boxes could result in high costs. How? Due to wasted materials.
Converting RGB files to CMYK format prior to beginning prepress will help prevent delays caused by errors in the file.

This will minimize changes and decrease the amount of reprints required, allowing for a smoother production and quicker delivery. By correcting the RGB error at this stage, you are protecting your client's budget as well as maintaining your client's brand image.

Difference Between RGB and CMYK

This is an important article for anyone interested in learning about the differences between the RGB vs CMYK Color Models. This is very useful for determining which model of colors to use when. When a wrong color choice is made, it could result in the loss of customer loyalty and ultimately lower sales. Therefore, developing an understanding of RGB vs CMYK printing will be beneficial.

Shades of Colors for RGB and CMYK Models

RGB uses values ranging between 0-255. The number of possible RGB colors/shades is 256. By using RGB values, you can create numerous colors and shades. When you mix RGB colors/shaders, you will always come up with an additional color/shade.

With four different colors, the CMYK produces more colors/shades than the RGB. With each of the colors/shades in CMYK ranging from 0% to 100%, when you combine any two, three, or all four colors/shades, you can produce numerous colors/shades.

Bottom Lines On RGB Color Model

The RGB color model is essentially the digital artist's canvas for creating all of those wonderful images we view on screens and capture with cameras through combinations of the three primary colors (red, green, and blue) and their mixture. Although the RGB color model has been the standard for many years, it is being replaced by the CMYK model when we are looking at the die-line printing or packaged product because the RGB color model does not perform as well in the real world as the CMYK model does.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the RGB color model?

The RGB color model is an additive color system that creates colors by combining red, green, and blue light at varying intensities, mainly used for digital screens and displays.

Why is RGB not ideal for printing?

RGB is light-based, while printing uses ink. Printers convert RGB to CMYK, which often changes brightness, saturation, and tonal accuracy, causing color shifts.

Where is RGB most commonly used?

RGB is primarily used in digital environments such as monitors, smartphones, tablets, cameras, and web graphics because these devices emit light.

What is the main limitation of RGB in print design?

RGB has a wider color gamut than CMYK, meaning many bright neon and vibrant tones cannot be reproduced accurately when printed.

How can designers avoid color mismatches?

Designers should convert artwork to CMYK before printing, use printer color profiles, proof colors on calibrated screens, and request hard proofs when possible.