Cmyk?

If I want accurate colour reproduction whilst printing onto paper, should I be in CMYK or RGB mode?

Does it even matter and what's the difference?

Thanks
Gary

Roughly:
RGB = Red Green Blue - this is what monitors display.
CMYK = Cyan Magenta Yellow Black - this is what printers use in halftone patterns(?).

It is hard to get color accuracy from screen to print. You might have to make several printouts to succeed, and you wont really know unless you get a color match proof from the printers if you are planning on a professional print run.

But if you plan on getting it printed then work in RGB, then convert to CMYK, is the general rule. You will find that PS has more options in RGB than CMYK.

I was working in Adobe 1998 RGB throughout and not getting purely accurate results.

However after using the SEARCH button on the forum, I found some good topics.

Thanks

If you are using a fairly common home printer and are planning on printing it yourself, work in RGB, most home printers are not equipped to deal with a CMYK workflow.

Except now a lot of the home printers are using cmyk.... just check the cartridges, if there are 4 - then its cmyk, if its 2, then its black and RGB.

Suprisingly epson photo stylus printers do a good job at printing rgb, I' m not sure about other printers.

I realise that the latter part of my question appeared very basic!! I'll put that down to lack of sleep!

The RGB mode isn't bad - I'm using an Epson 890 (6 inks) for home stuff. I don't normally send digital out to a lab, I'm still a diehard traditional photographer and like my negatives.

I had read articles about staying in Adobe RGB 1998, so I stick with that, but wondered about the different modes. The different colour settings still confuse me US/ Europe prepress....WEB coated swop etc.

thanks
Gary

If your pinting at home use rgb, you'll get richer colors. To be sure make a test pallete and compare the same colors in cmyk and rgb by printing both.

if you are going to be getting it printed professionally, your best bet is to ask the printer what HE prefers for pre-press, RGB or CMYK. basically, RBG adds colours to make , um colours, and CMYK or (Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black) are subtractive colours, (but thats going into colour theory a little too much

I have never heard of a printer wanting RGB. It has a much higher gamut than CMYK. Which means you get more colors out of RGB than CMYK can produce. Design in CMYK and you won't be surprised (dissappointed) when you get your printed piece back.