1. Colour Guide for Printing: CMYK, Pantone and Colour Psychology

    Colour is one of the most powerful elements in any print design — it grabs attention, communicates your brand personality and influences how people feel about your materials before they've read a single word. But colour for print works very differently to colour on screen, and understanding those differences is essential for getting consistent, accurate results every time.

    In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about colour for print — from colour models and Pantone matching to colour psychology and paper choices.

    CMYK vs RGB: Understanding the Difference

    What is RGB?

    RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue — the primary colours of light. RGB is the colour model used by screens: computer monitors, smartphones, tablets and televisions all display colour by emitting combinations of red, green and blue light. The more light that's added, the brighter and closer to white the colour becomes — this is known as additive colour mixing.

    RGB can display a very wide range of vivid colours, which is why images on screen can look more saturated and vibrant than when printed.

    What is CMYK?

    CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black) — the four ink colours used in commercial printing. Unlike RGB, CMYK works by subtracting light: inks are layered on paper to absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others, producing the colours we see. This is known as subtractive colour mixing.

    CMYK has a smaller colour gamut than RGB — meaning some very bright, saturated RGB colours cannot be accurately reproduced in CMYK. This is why artwork designed in RGB can look noticeably different when printed.

    Why You Must Design in CMYK for Print

    Always set up your artwork in CMYK colour mode from the start of your design process. If you design in RGB and convert to CMYK at the end, colours can shift — sometimes dramatically. Vivid blues, bright oranges and neon colours are particularly prone to shifting on conversion. See our dedicated guide: What is CMYK and Why Does it Matter?

    Pantone Colours: Achieving Exact Colour Consistency

    For brands where colour accuracy is critical — corporate identities, brand guidelines, logos — the Pantone Matching System (PMS) is the industry standard solution.

    What are Pantone Colours?

    Pantone colours are pre-mixed, standardised inks with unique reference numbers. Because each Pantone colour is mixed to a precise formula, it produces the same result regardless of which printer or print run is used — providing a level of consistency that CMYK process printing cannot always guarantee.

    • Best for: Brand colours, logos and any project where exact colour matching across multiple print runs is essential
    • Key benefit: Consistent, repeatable colour results across all print materials and suppliers
    • Note: Pantone (spot colour) printing is a specialist process — contact us to discuss whether your project requires Pantone matching

    Converting Pantone to CMYK

    For most standard print jobs, your Pantone brand colours will be converted to their closest CMYK equivalent. This is standard practice and produces excellent results for the vast majority of print materials, though very specific Pantone colours — particularly those in the orange, green and violet ranges — may not convert perfectly to CMYK. Always ask your printer for a proof if colour accuracy is critical.

    Colour Psychology: How Colour Influences Your Audience

    Colour communicates before words do. The colours you choose for your print materials send an immediate signal about your brand, your values and your intended audience. Understanding colour psychology helps you make more deliberate, effective design choices:

    • Red — passion, urgency, excitement. Effective for calls to action, sale promotions and food brands. Use with care — red is a high-energy colour that can overwhelm if overused
    • Blue — calm, trust, reliability. The most widely used colour in corporate design. Works well for professional services, healthcare and technology brands
    • Yellow — optimism, energy, attention. Highly visible and great for grabbing attention, but can be difficult to read as a text colour — use as an accent rather than a background
    • Green — nature, health, sustainability. The natural choice for eco-friendly, organic and wellness brands. Also associated with growth and prosperity
    • Black — sophistication, power, luxury. A timeless choice for premium brands. Pairs particularly well with gold, white and silver for a high-end feel
    • White — cleanliness, simplicity, space. Often used as a background or negative space colour to let other elements breathe and stand out
    • Purple — creativity, royalty, mystery. Popular with creative industries, beauty brands and products targeting a female demographic

    Colour Separation and Halftones in Commercial Printing

    Colour Separation

    When your artwork goes to print, it is separated into four individual colour plates — one each for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. Each plate prints one ink colour, and the four layers combine on the paper to reproduce the full colour image. This process is managed automatically by modern RIP (Raster Image Processing) software, but understanding it helps explain why artwork must be in CMYK rather than RGB.

    Halftone Printing

    Commercial printing doesn't apply ink in continuous tones — instead, it uses tiny dots of varying sizes and spacing to simulate gradients and shades. This is called halftone printing. At normal viewing distances, the dots blend visually to create the impression of continuous tone. This is why print resolution matters — at too low a resolution, the dots become visible and the image looks pixelated. See our guide: Understanding DPI for Print

    Choosing the Right Paper for Colour Accuracy

    Your paper stock has a significant impact on how your colours appear when printed. The same artwork will look noticeably different on different paper types:

    • Gloss paper — a shiny, reflective coating that makes colours appear rich, vivid and saturated. Ideal for posters, flyers and image-led print where maximum colour impact is the priority
    • Silk paper — a smooth, semi-matt finish that balances colour vibrancy with reduced glare. The most popular all-round choice for brochures, business cards and marketing materials
    • Uncoated paper — a natural, slightly textured surface with no surface coating. Ink absorbs more deeply into the paper, resulting in slightly softer, less saturated colours. Popular for stationery, notepads and brands that want a natural, organic feel

    When colour accuracy matters, always request a printed proof before approving a full print run.

    Quick Colour Checklist for Print

    • Design in CMYK — never RGB
    • Use Pantone references for brand-critical colours where possible
    • Check your colours in CMYK mode before finalising artwork
    • Be aware that very bright or neon colours may not reproduce accurately in CMYK
    • Choose your paper stock based on the colour result you need — gloss for vivid, uncoated for natural
    • Request a proof for colour-critical jobs
    • See our proof checking guide before submitting artwork

    Print in Vibrant Colour with Dipol Print

    At Dipol Print, we print business cards, flyers, posters, brochures and much more for businesses across Brighton & Hove and the wider UK. Our team is always happy to advise on colour setup, paper choices and artwork requirements — just get in touch or visit us at 97 St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1TP.