Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
the artwork will be published, such as a print piece or a website. The colors you create need
to be described in the correct way for the medium. This usually requires that you use the
correct color mode and color definitions for your colors. The first part, color modes, will be
described next.
Exploring color modes
Before starting a new illustration, you should decide which color mode the artwork should
use,
CMYK
or
RGB
.
•
CMYK
—Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are the colors used in four-color process
printing. These four colors are combined and overlapped in a screen pattern to create a
multitude of other colors. Select this mode for printing.
•
RGB
—Red, green, and blue light are added together in various ways to create an array
of colors. Select this mode if you are using images for on-screen presentations or the
Internet.
When creating a new document, you select a color mode by choosing File > New and picking
the appropriate document Profile, such as Print, which uses CMYK for the color mode. You
can change the color mode by clicking the arrow to the left of Advanced and making a
selection in the Color Mode menu.
Tip
To learn more about color and graphics, search for “About color” in
Illustrator Help (Help > Illustrator Help).
