CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black). It’s the standard color model for printing and has been in use since the early days of modern offset printing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Printers adopted it because these four inks can be layered to produce a wide range of colors on paper.
Where It’s Used
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Commercial printing (books, magazines, flyers)
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Packaging design
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Large-format banners and posters
CMYK is subtractive—meaning it starts with white (the paper) and subtracts light by adding ink. The more ink, the darker the color.
Tips
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Always convert your design to CMYK before sending to print—what you see in RGB on screen won’t match exactly.
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Use rich black (e.g., 60C 40M 40Y 100K) for deep, solid blacks instead of 100% K alone.
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Keep an eye on your total ink coverage—going over 300% can cause smudging.