#Color
Why your brand color has three codes: HEX, RGB and CMYK
RGB and HEX are for screens, CMYK is for print. What each code does, when RGB alone is enough, and why the printed color can come back duller.
The question usually shows up as "should my brand be CMYK or RGB?" The honest answer is that it has to be both. Here's why the codes exist, and when you can skip one.
What's the difference between RGB and CMYK?
A screen makes color by shining red, green and blue light. Turn all three up and you get white. That's RGB, and it's the system for anything seen on a phone, a laptop or a TV.
A printer does the opposite. It lays down cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink on white paper, and each layer takes light away. Stack them all and you get something close to black. That's CMYK, and it's the system for anything that comes off a press or an office printer.
Because one adds light and the other subtracts it, the same color needs a different recipe in each.
Where does HEX fit in?
HEX is RGB written as one short code, like #6B5AC9. It's the one you'll paste into Canva, a social media scheduler or a slide deck, because most online tools ask for it by name. If you have a HEX code, you have the RGB values. They're the same color.
| Code | Made of | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| HEX | Light, as a six-character code | Canva, social posts, slide decks, email signatures |
| RGB | Light, as three numbers from 0 to 255 | Screen design apps, video, anything that asks for RGB by name |
| CMYK | Ink, as four percentages | Business cards, flyers, signs, stickers, packaging |
| Pantone | A premixed ink | Print that has to match exactly across runs |
Why does a printed color come out duller?
Light can produce colors ink can't. The brightest electric blues, neon greens and saturated oranges on a screen sit outside the range a CMYK press can reach. When a file with one of those colors is sent to print, the printer's software swaps in the closest color it can make. Nobody warns you. The box of business cards just arrives looking duller than the Instagram post.
That's why the CMYK version of a brand color shouldn't be an automatic conversion. It's chosen, and checked against a printed proof when it matters. Sometimes the screen color gets adjusted a little so both versions stay close.
When is it safe to use only RGB?
If your business really never prints anything, RGB and HEX will cover you. That's more common than it used to be. Plenty of consultants and coaches run everything through Zoom, LinkedIn and Canva.
"Never" tends to have a short shelf life, though. A conference name badge, a sticker for a giveaway, a banner for a talk, a thank-you card in an order. When that day comes, somebody converts the color in a hurry and it doesn't match. Having the CMYK values written down costs nothing and saves that scramble.
What should my brand guide list for each color?
For every color in the palette, the guides I make list the HEX, RGB and CMYK values side by side. The point is that the print shop, a Canva post and a slide deck all land on the same shade, and nobody has to guess or convert.
A good palette page usually also shows:
- A name for each color, so "use the teal" means one thing to everyone.
- Which colors can carry text, and which text color goes on each (more on that in can people actually read your brand colors).
- A Pantone reference, if the brand prints enough to need one.
Which files go with which code?
The logo files follow the same split. A print shop gets the CMYK PDF. Canva, social media and slides get the RGB PNG or SVG. If you're not sure which file is which, the file formats post walks through them one by one.
Questions people also ask
Should my logo be in CMYK or RGB?
Both. The same logo is delivered in RGB files for screens and CMYK files for print. Use the RGB version online and in Canva, and send the CMYK version to a print shop.
Is HEX the same as RGB?
Yes. A HEX code is RGB written in a shorter form. #FF0000 and RGB 255, 0, 0 are the same red.
Why does my printed color look different from my screen?
Screens make color with light and printers with ink. Some bright screen colors are outside the range ink can reach, so the printer swaps in the nearest color it can print, which is often duller. Paper, coating and the printer's calibration shift it further.
What is a Pantone color and do I need one?
Pantone is a system of premixed inks, used when a color has to match exactly across print runs, for example on packaging or merchandise. Most small businesses don't need one until they print in volume.
