Understanding Photoshop’s Color Modes

by David Peters

Photoshop itself can be a challenge to those first learning the program. All of the features and how to use them can be quite a mystery. Many are intimidated by the different color modes offered and shy away from experimenting with them never knowing the dramatic impact color modes can have on the final image.

Color modes determine the color model that should be used to display and print digital pictures. Anyone serious about professional quality digital imaging should learn about the color modes and models and how to apply them in Photoshop. Certain color modes are best for particular applications and so on. Most good Photoshop tutorials and training aids will teach user how and when to use which color modes for the best results depending on the particular project.

Before taking on that Photoshop tutorial though, you need to have the basic understanding of what exactly a color mode is and why there are different models.

Several different color modes are used to display digital images. Here is a brief overview of the main basic color modes you will come across when working with digital images.

RGB

RGB stands re Red Green and Blue. In the RGB color mode colors are created by mixing these three primary colors. You are basically working in three color channels in RBG mode and you can adjust the intensity of each channel to obtain various degrees of colors. White is made by combining all of the three colors.

CMYK

CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. RGB creates colors by mixing colors together, but CMYK basically generates color by reducing varying degrees of each color. As an example, if white is needed all colors would be subtracted to zero.

Learning about the color modes will result in big improvements in your digital imaging work. Printers use CMYK color while monitors use RGB. This is why there is sometimes a difference in what you see on your PC monitor and what you see on paper. Fortunately there is now software that you can install which will calibrate your monitor colors with your printer so what you see on your monitor is what you get when you print.

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