Why is the ink for printers CMYK four primary colors?

　　In theory, printers only need the three primary colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) for color printing, which can already be combined to form the maximum color gamut, just like the RGB primary colors of a display. However, due to the composition of ink during the production process, the purity of the color is limited. Using CMY three primary color ink can only produce a dark brown color close to pure black, and black (K) needs to be added during printing to produce pure black.

　　So, printers that use ink as printing consumables must add a black color on the basis of the three primary color theory. This is why printing adopts the CMYK model, also known as four-color in the printing industry. In addition, the commonly heard six colors in the market are the addition of Lc and Lm to the CMYK model. The addition of these two light colored inks is to meet the higher requirements for printing patterns, such as printing advertising display materials. The six color model can make the printed patterns more full in color, transition more naturally, and have a clear sense of hierarchy.

　　In addition, with the increasing demand for the speed and printing effect of printers in the market, some manufacturers have also introduced more color configurations, such as adding some spot colors in addition to the six colors. However, these are also essential and the principle is the same as the four-color and six color models.

Read recommendations:

The advantages of color label printers

Inkjet printer