Printing presses use four colors of ink or toner to make every possible printed color. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. The saturation of each color is on a scale from 0-100%. So, if you want something to print in all black, the ink combination would be C0, M0, Y0, K100. 100% black ink and no other colors. Printing a green color takes a combination of several inks in different quantities. For example, “4-H green” would be a combination of C100 M0 Y90 K0.
Differently, anything on a digital screen uses lights to create visual content. Computers, phones, TVs, and other such devices use pixels of light. Sometimes literal light bulbs are used, like at the Watt Center on Clemson campus. Every possible color generates with light is a blend of just three light colors: Red, Green, Blue. Each of these is used in saturation quantities from 0-255.
Black is the absence of all color, so to make something black in RGB, the light combination would be R0 G0 B0. The same 4-H green above converts to R51 G153 B102 in with lights.
So what?
When a file is saved in one color mode and then used for another purpose, the colors will likely be off. For example, if a logo meant for print is uploaded to a website or share on social media, the color brilliance or saturation will likely not be the correct brand colors. Sometimes this is barely noticeable. Often it is quite obviously incorrect. For example, Clemson Orange and Regalia will convert to University of Florida colors if the correct color mode is not used.
Some software applications will allow you to convert the original file from CMYK to RGB with a quick edit in the document set up. Be careful not to take this “quick fix” approach without also changing the color swatches to the correct color mode as well. Often CMYK colors are not correctly converted to RGB colors (and vice versa). Most brands will have separate color swatches to be used for the appropriate color modes. Be sure to use the correct color mode and swatch set for the job.
The full Clemson color pallete and branding details can be found on the color page of the branding website.
