By understanding colour we are able to create and achieve consistency across a brand and brand design such as digital materials and printing materials. There is 4 different distinct colour systems that we use:
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black) and is a colour system used for printing processes such as magazines, newspapers and brochures. The CMYK system uses 4 plates in a printing press by subtracting colour theory which means colours are made by subtracting light from white so the more colour that is layered on, the more darker colours are created until you reach black. Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow are the primary colours of the CMYK model and are used to create a wide range of colours by mixing them in different proportions. Black is added to improve the quality of the printed image and create depth and contrast.
RGB stand for Red, Green and Blue and is the colour system used for electronic displays such as laptops, phones and televisions for digital media. The RGB colour system works the opposite way than the CMYK colour system as it uses additive colour theory as colour is created by adding white to a black surface. The 3 light beams of red, green and blue can be mixed in different proportions to create different colours and shades. For example, mixing equal amounts of red, green, and blue creates white, while no light for all three colours creates black.
Used in industries such as printing, graphic design and product design, Pantone is a colour matching system which is used to specify a distinct brand colour. The Pantone Matching System (PMS) provides a set of colours with each identified by a unique number which allows designers and manufacturers to ensure consistent and accurate colour reproduction across different materials and media. What is quite cool is the Pantone system also includes metallic and fluorescent colours as well as specialty inks such as thermochromic and glow-in-the-dark inks.
The RAL colour system is an abbreviation of the German ‘Reichs-Ausschuß für Lieferbedingungen und Gütesicherung’ which translates to Imperial Committee for Delivery Terms and Quality Assurance. RAL is used more in industries such as architecture, car manufacturing and industrial design as it could be used for things such as painting a wall in your brand colours. Each colour is identified using a 4 digit code such as RAL 9005 (Jet Black) or RAL 9016 (White).
Colour theory is the study of how colours interact with each other and how they can be used to create a desired effect. There are three primary colours: red, blue, and yellow. These colours cannot be created by mixing any other colours together but they can be combined to create all other colours. Secondary colours are created by mixing two primary colours together. These include orange, green and purple. Tertiary colours are created by mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour. For example, mixing red with orange creates a red-orange colour, while mixing blue with green creates a blue-green colour.
Monochromatic refers to a colour scheme that is based on variations of a single colour. In a monochromatic colour scheme, different shades, tints, and tones of a single colour are used to create a harmonious design.