Picking your palette means associating colours with your business – from energetic oranges to that smart, business blue, each colour and shade comes with associations. Colour is a key pillar of your brand’s perception and keeping that messaging consistent is important.

With a spectrum of materials and devices, getting the right colour every time can be a tricky task. If you’ve ever printed out a hot-pink pamphlet only to be met with a pale pastel, then we’ve got some tips for you.

Read on and learn more about colour modes and get ready to use colour the right way, with Adobe Express.

What are colour modes?

Ever got heated about a red top online turning up orange in person? With so many monitors and materials, what you see in one space can often show up different in another.

Colour modes aim to solve that, letting you consistently use the correct colours across devices and print mediums. This is especially important, as colours can mix differently across digital and print.

So, with the right colour modes you can say with certainty what a colour is and keep all your branding consistent, from online banners to t-shirts and pamphlets.

6 main types of colour modes.

There’s a spectrum of colour modes, and each one defines how colours combine. This can have an impact on file sizes, as each colour mode comes with different levels of detail.

• CMYK. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black (CMYK) as a colour mode is like a palette made for print. It combines colours with a subtractive mix (colours blend together to become darker), as colours would if you mixed them with paint, for example. It’s ideal for printed materials like posters, flyers and cards.
• RGB. Think of RGB (Red, Green, Blue) as the king of digital colour. It uses an additive mix, meaning colours become lighter (RGB equals white, after all). It’s ideal for digital formats such as photography, animation and websites.
• Bitmap. Bitmap provides that retro-vibe, making it an artsy choice for specific projects, and also maintaining compatibility with older systems.
• Grayscale. Grayscale is that timeless, “classic-movie” looking set of tones that range between black and white. It’s often used in logo design and photography, and is a way to evoke a very specific mood.
• LAB. LAB is short for “Lightness, A for Green-Red Axis, B for Blue-Yellow Axis”. That’s a long-winded way of saying this colour mode is ideal for creating colours based on our vision as people. It’s a great way to maintain colour consistency across media, bringing harmony to your branding.
• Indexed. There can be such a thing as too much choice. Imagine needing to select between the millions of RGB colours! The Indexed colour mode simplifies things, with a swatch of 256 colours. This reduces file sizes, ensuring websites load quickly and run smoothly.

While more colour modes exist, all with their individual pros, cons and purposes, these are among the most common for digital and print media.

Why are colour modes important?

To get the optimal results on your projects, it’s important to understand the purpose of different colour modes.

There are a range of top-level benefits to learning about different colour modes, as they allow you to:

• Adapt your colours to each medium. By using colour modes, you can adapt your colours to each medium you use. The easiest example is made when comparing RGB to CMYK – one is ideal for digital mediums, whereas the other replicates print colours better.
• Ensure colour consistency across your designs. Colour consistency is made easy as colour modes let you identify the exact colours you’re using. This ensures there are no variations or slight changes to colour.
• Optimise your colours for display. Certain colour modes aren’t as detailed, meaning they can improve the performance of your website or application. For example, indexed colours could be ideal for use on a spreadsheet app or your brand’s website leading to better file sizes.

How to use colour modes for colour consistency.

If you use the same colour modes, printed designs and assets can often come out looking different and that’s because printing with ink is very different to RGB lights on a desktop or digital interface.

Here’s a quick rundown of additive and subtractive media, and their impact on colour consistency.

Additive Mixing.

Additive mixing is a method that makes colour by mixing light. This results in a spectrum of varied colours using Red, Green and Blue (RGB). When added together, these colours become light – if you mix all three, you get white. While it’s great for digital media, this method is also used on things like ambient lighting.

Just remember to calibrate your screen when mixing light and try to look at designs across screens as different settings could yield different results.

Subtractive Mixing.

Subtractive mixing doesn’t use light to mix colours – instead, it uses materials like dyes and pigments (or aims to replicate them). When you mix red, green and blue paint – you don’t get white, right? A subtractive mode like CMYK is the go-to way to print for packaging, posters and brochures.

When you use CMYK on a digital application, colours could look a bit different once printed. Try to print some proofs just to ensure things turn out the way you want.

Combining colour modes.

With both additive and subtractive colour methods, it’s always a good idea to make your own swatches so that once you’ve got the colours down, you’ve got a consistent reference.

Switching between modes can be a bit tedious because of the likelihood of colour changes. Tools like Adobe Colour Management can help keep your colours from shifting shades. With a bit of know-how, and a touch of preparation, you’ll be able to achieve consistent colours across your print and digital media.

Free colour scheme template ideas for your print and digital creations.

How can Adobe Express help with colour consistency across print and digital?

1. Create custom colour palettes for both RGB and CMYK colour modes.

With Adobe, you can create your own custom colour palettes, so you get the right colours every time. Save individual palettes for different colour modes and tailor your designs for print or digital.

2. Set up your own brand kit with Adobe Express for Business.

Create on-brand content, set up designs, and make your own brand kit with Adobe Express for Business. Content can easily be tailored to fit your brand identity, with lockable templates to keep your assets consistent.

3. Use the One Click, Apply Brand tool for streamlined production.

Ensure consistency in-line with your brand identity and apply your brand to designs in a click. Streamline production and ensure everyone is on-brand with the One Click, Apply Brand tool.

4. Designed, printed and delivered – all in one platform.

Design, print, deliver all on one platform. Start your print-on-demand business, create incredible flyers, or send out invitations all in one platform. Print and deliver with Adobe Express today.

5. Experiment with easy-to-use templates.

Adjust a range of easy-to-use templates to comply with your brand and make your workflows that much faster. Play with designs until you’re happy and see what you can do today.

Try Adobe Express for free now

Good to know.

Why is colour consistency important for your brand?

Colour consistency doesn’t just look professional, it makes your brand recognisable – and helps you stand out. In turn, that could lead to sales, engagement and customer trust.

Which colour mode is better?

Each colour mode has its own purpose and learning the ins and outs of each is important. However, as a rule of thumb RGB is best for digital media and CMYK is suited to print media.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.