CMYK color model

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cmyk-color-model

1. What is the color model classification?
2. What does CMYK stand for and why do printers use it?
3. Why do printers add black ink (K) instead of just mixing cyan, magenta, and yellow?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the color model classification?Subtractive color model, fundamental to print reproduction
2. What does CMYK stand for and why do printers use it?CMYK is Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black). Printers use it because mixing these inks absorbs light and creates many colors, and black ink gives deep blacks and sharp text.
3. Why do printers add black ink (K) instead of just mixing cyan, magenta, and yellow?Mixing only CMY often makes muddy brown or gray, so black ink gives true black, better shadows, and keeps text readable.

Additive Color: Color mixing where colors are created by adding light, as seen on digital screens (RGB).
Color Gamut: The range of colors that a particular device or medium can display or reproduce.
Color Management: The process of controlling and ensuring color consistency across different devices and media, often using ICC profiles.