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CMYK Color Guide
Base wheel
C: 70 M: 100 C: 50 M: 70
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 5 M: 10 C: 40 M: 50
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0
C: 25 M: 35
Y: 0 K: 0
Variants
C: 75 M: 100 C: 50 M: 70 C: 75 M: 100 C: 50 M: 70 C: 75 M: 100 C: 50 M: 70
Y: 20 K: 0 Y: 15 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 35 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 10 M: 10 C: 40 M: 50 C: 10 M: 10 C: 40 M: 50 C: 10 M: 10 C: 40 M: 50
Y: 3 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 5 K: 0 Y: 25 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 40 K: 0
C: 25 M: 35 C: 25 M: 35 C: 20 M: 30
Y: 5 K: 0 Y: 15 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0
Make black
Blacks are created in printing by the presence of color; the black (K)
color creates shades of gray based on its density, or the value between
1–100. “Rich black” blends all 4 colors (CMYK) to create a darker, richer
black. Avoid over-saturating the paper, it’s not a good idea to concoct
your own rich black by setting all colors to the max: 100-100-100-100.
Instead, try some of the values shown below.
Black
Be careful when using black to darken colors, it quickly looks muddy.
C: 0 M: 0 C: 0 M: 0 C: 30 M: 30 C: 25 M: 25
Y: 0 K: 100 Y: 0 K: 70 Y: 30 K: 100 Y: 25 K: 70
> BASE COLOR
just rich
C: 0 M: 0 black C: 0 M: 0 C: 5 M: 5 black C: 20 M: 20
Y: 0 K: 10 Y: 0 K: 50 Y: 5 K: 10 Y: 20 K: 50
C: 0 M: 0 C: 15 M: 15
Y: 0 K: 30 Y: 15 K: 30
C: 0 M: 100 C: 0 M: 70 C: 20 M: 100 C: 15 M: 70
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 0 M: 10 C: 0 M: 50 C: 2 M: 10 C: 10 M: 50
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 0 M: 30 C: 5 M: 30
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
C: 50 M: 100 C: 35 M: 70 C: 70 M: 100 C: 50 M: 70
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
C: 5 M: 10 C: 25 M: 50 C: 10 M: 10 C: 35 M: 50
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 15 M: 30 C: 20 M: 30
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
Oranges Be careful when using black to darken colors, it quickly looks muddy.
& Browns
C: 0 M: 70 C: 0 M: 50 C: 20 M: 70 C: 15 M: 50
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 0 M: 5 C: 0 M: 35 C: 2 M: 5 C: 10 M: 30
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 0 M: 20 C: 5 M: 20
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
C: 50 M: 70 C: 35 M: 50 C: 70 M: 70 C: 50 M: 50
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
C: 5 M: 5 C: 25 M: 35 C: 10 M: 10 C: 35 M: 35
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 15 M: 20 C: 20 M: 20
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
C: 0 M: 50 C: 0 M: 30 C: 20 M: 50 C: 15 M: 35
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 0 M: 5 C: 0 M: 20 C: 2 M: 5 C: 10 M: 25
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 0 M: 15 C: 5 M: 15
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
C: 50 M: 50 C: 35 M: 35 C: 70 M: 50 C: 50 M: 35
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
C: 5 M: 5 C: 25 M: 25 C: 7 M: 5 C: 35 M: 25
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 15 M: 15 C: 20 M: 15
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
Greens are constructed with cyan and yellow. Equal, dense levels of
cyan and yellow are the building blocks of vibrant greens. Yellow is
hard to darken without transforming it into a sage or mustard color, or
Yellows in more dense mixtures becomes orange and green.
& Greens Be careful when using black to darken colors, it quickly looks muddy.
C: 0 M: 30 C: 0 M: 20 C: 20 M: 30 C: 15 M: 20
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 0 M: 2 C: 0 M: 15 C: 2 M: 5 C: 10 M: 15
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 0 M: 10 C: 5 M: 10
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
C: 50 M: 30 C: 35 M: 20 C: 70 M: 70 C: 50 M: 20
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
C: 5 M: 3 C: 25 M: 15 C: 10 M: 5 C: 35 M: 15
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 15 M: 20 C: 20 M: 10
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
C: 0 M: 10 C: 0 M: 5 C: 20 M: 10 C: 15 M: 5
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 0 M: 0 C: 0 M: 5 C: 2 M: 0 C: 10 M: 5
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 15 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 0 M: 3 C: 5 M: 3
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
C: 50 M: 10 C: 35 M: 5 C: 70 M: 10 C: 50 M: 5
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
C: 5 M: 0 C: 25 M: 7 C: 7 M: 0 C: 35 M: 5
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 15 M: 3 C: 20 M: 3
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
C: 80 M: 0 C: 55 M: 0 C: 80 M: 20 C: 55 M: 15
Y: 80 K: 0 Y: 55 K: 0 Y: 80 K: 0 Y: 55 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 10 M: 0 C: 40 M: 0 C: 10 M: 2 C: 40 M: 10
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 40 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 40 K: 0
C: 25 M: 0 C: 25 M: 5
Y: 25 K: 0 Y: 25 K: 0
C: 80 M: 50 C: 55 M: 35 C: 80 M: 70 C: 55 M: 50
Y: 80 K: 0 Y: 55 K: 0 Y: 80 K: 0 Y: 55 K: 0
C: 10 M: 5 C: 40 M: 25 C: 10 M: 10 C: 40 M: 35
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 40 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 40 K: 0
C: 25 M: 15 C: 25 M: 20
Y: 25 K: 0 Y: 25 K: 0
C: 100 M: 0 C: 70 M: 0 C: 100 M: 20 C: 70 M: 15
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 10 M: 0 C: 50 M: 0 C: 10 M: 2 C: 50 M: 10
Y: 3 K: 0 Y: 15 K: 0 Y: 3 K: 0 Y: 15 K: 0
C: 30 M: 0 C: 30 M: 5
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0
C: 100 M: 50 C: 70 M: 35 C: 100 M: 70 C: 70 M: 50
Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0 Y: 30 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0
C: 10 M: 5 C: 50 M: 25 C: 10 M: 5 C: 50 M: 35
Y: 3 K: 0 Y: 15 K: 0 Y: 3 K: 0 Y: 15 K: 0
C: 30 M: 15 C: 30 M: 20
Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0
Blues
C: 100 M: 50 C: 70 M: 35 C: 100 M: 50 C: 70 M: 35
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 10 M: 5 C: 50 M: 25 C: 10 M: 5 C: 50 M: 25
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 2 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0
C: 30 M: 15 C: 30 M: 15
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 5 K: 0
C: 100 M: 50 C: 70 M: 35 C: 100 M: 50 C: 70 M: 35
Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 35 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 10 M: 5 C: 50 M: 25 C: 10 M: 5 C: 50 M: 25
Y: 5 K: 0 Y: 25 K: 0 Y: 5 K: 0 Y: 35 K: 0
C: 30 M: 15 C: 30 M: 15
Y: 15 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0
C: 70 M: 100 C: 50 M: 70 C: 75 M: 100 C: 50 M: 70
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0 Y: 15 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 5 M: 10 C: 40 M: 50 C: 10 M: 10 C: 40 M: 50
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 3 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0
C: 25 M: 35 C: 25 M: 35
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 5 K: 0
C: 75 M: 100 C: 50 M: 70 C: 75 M: 100 C: 50 M: 70
Y: 50 K: 0 Y: 35 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0 Y: 50 K: 0
C: 10 M: 10 C: 40 M: 50 C: 10 M: 10 C: 40 M: 50
Y: 5 K: 0 Y: 25 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 40 K: 0
C: 25 M: 35 C: 20 M: 30
Y: 15 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0
Ah, pink. The best pink tones have an extraordinarily high level of
magenta and relatively low levels of yellow, cyan, and black. Too much
yellow deviates to red hues while too much blue makes a purple mix.
C: 10 M: 100 C: 10 M: 70 C: 10 M: 100 C: 15 M: 20
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 70 K: 0
> BASE COLOR
C: 0 M: 10 C: 5 M: 50 C: 0 M: 10 C: 5 M: 50
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 2 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0
C: 3 M: 30 C: 3 M: 30
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 5 K: 0
C: 0 M: 10 C: 5 M: 50 C: 0 M: 10 C: 5 M: 50
Y: 5 K: 0 Y: 25 K: 0 Y: 10 K: 0 Y: 35 K: 0
C: 3 M: 30 C: 3 M: 30
Y: 15 K: 0 Y: 20 K: 0
You want your designs to pop of the page? While CMYK’s color range
isn’t fluorescant bright, these color mixtures will produce outstanding,
bright results in offset printing.
Pop!
warmer cooler
C: 5 M: 100 tones C: 0 M: 30 C: 0 M: 30 tones C: 100 M: 70
Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0
C: 0 M: 5 C: 60 M: 100
Y: 100 K: 0 Y: 0 K: 0