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For Professionals and Learners as a Reference
CMYK Colour Chart
Accurate CMYK values for reliable offset printing. Each row shows the base colour at full strength fading across five steps. Click any swatch to copy its value.
42
Colour Rows
5
Shades Each
CMYK
Print Standard
How to read this chart: Each row shows a base CMYK colour at full strength on the left, with values gradually decreasing to the right (approximately 100% → 70% → 50% → 30% → 10% strength). Values are sourced from Mixam's official CMYK print reference guide. Always export artwork in CMYK colour mode. Monitor display will differ from physical print output.
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What is CMYK? Why it is important.
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black). It is the standard color model used in commercial printing and works by combining different percentages of these four ink colors to reproduce a wide range of printed colors.
Unlike RGB, which is used for digital screens and creates color through light, CMYK is a subtractive color model. This means colors become darker as more ink is added. When cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are combined, they theoretically produce black, but in reality they create a muddy dark brown. This is why black ink, referred to as “Key,” is added to achieve deeper shadows, better contrast, and sharper text.
CMYK is widely used in brochures, flyers, business cards, magazines, posters, packaging, banners, exhibition graphics, and other printed materials. Most commercial printers operate using CMYK because it is cost-effective and capable of producing millions of color variations through different ink combinations.
One of the main limitations of CMYK is that it cannot reproduce certain bright, fluorescent, metallic, or highly saturated colors as accurately as Pantone spot colors. Colors displayed on digital screens in RGB may also appear different when converted to CMYK for printing, which is why designers often prepare artwork specifically in CMYK mode before sending files to print.
Understanding CMYK is important for designers, marketers, and business owners because it helps ensure that printed colors appear as close as possible to the intended design.
Unlike RGB, which is used for digital screens and creates color through light, CMYK is a subtractive color model. This means colors become darker as more ink is added. When cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are combined, they theoretically produce black, but in reality they create a muddy dark brown. This is why black ink, referred to as “Key,” is added to achieve deeper shadows, better contrast, and sharper text.
CMYK is widely used in brochures, flyers, business cards, magazines, posters, packaging, banners, exhibition graphics, and other printed materials. Most commercial printers operate using CMYK because it is cost-effective and capable of producing millions of color variations through different ink combinations.
One of the main limitations of CMYK is that it cannot reproduce certain bright, fluorescent, metallic, or highly saturated colors as accurately as Pantone spot colors. Colors displayed on digital screens in RGB may also appear different when converted to CMYK for printing, which is why designers often prepare artwork specifically in CMYK mode before sending files to print.
Understanding CMYK is important for designers, marketers, and business owners because it helps ensure that printed colors appear as close as possible to the intended design.