The answer to that question could vary depending on what it is you’re looking for.
The RGB color space is what it is, and software, monitors, and your eyes can only come together to a certain point relative to what someone else is seeing — and more importantly what’s going to come off a press.
To directly address your question, when you’re looking at CMYK images on your monitor (assuming at least moderate accuracy of screen dots) you’re looking at that CMYK image not from the display of Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and BlacK pixel combos — you’re still seeing an RGB image.
The RGB values you’re looking at, though, are being defined by very precise mathematics, and are — for all intents and purposes — as accurate as your monitor is. That’s why people who work at, before, or around high-end color production houses use digital calibrators — to make damn sure that the relationship between what I see and what four colors of ink look like on paper — as opposed to three colors. You’re not looking at CMYK on your monitor when you look at a CMYK Photoshop image — you’re still looking at an RGB simulation. Increasingly, designers (and scientists, for that matter) are shifting to LAB, because the structural relationship between the two are easier to comprehend. Not for me, mind you — normal people and scientists yes, Gary no. I work in RGB all the time until I have to print it. Then I convert it and trust my calibrator to generate real comparative color — and I don’t do anything without press proofs being approved before press runs.
Relative to that, don’t forget that the color you’re looking at is coming into your eyes from a glowing tube. The color you see when you’re looking at press proofs is coming from behind or in front of or otherwise above you somewhere, and is being reflected — bounced — off the paper it’s on.
So yes, the color you see when looking at a CMYK image is pretty close. Don’t listen to rumors, or you’ll think that poisonous spiders are invading toilets and killing innocent women everywhere (don’t laugh — that’s from my sister).
Gary in tampa
On 7/31/07 4:15 PM, in article
, "KipCozy" wrote:
I have been provided the CMYK values of a colour. What’s the most accurate way to find the more visually representative RGB version of that colour for Web?
It’s my understanding that typing in the CMYK values in PS’s color picker, and then just looking at the RGB ‘translation’ is not accurate. True?
I realize that all monitors are different and so it will never be 100% accurate, but is there an accepted way of determining the RGB version of a CMYK colour?
Thanks.
