Color # Keeps Changing in CMYK Files

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
August 24, 2021
2 replies
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I am working on multiple files with the same cartoon character. In some of those files, my intended primary color for the character is correct - # b88b44 - but in some of the files it seems to automically change the color # to b68a43. Even if I change the color to my desired choice # b88b44 - it somehow gets change back to #b68a43.

Has anyoine had an issue with something like this? and is there a fix?

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Correct answer Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Just so you know what's happening: HEX numbers (which are RGB, as Monika has mentioned) do not translate to CMYK exactly, so (based on your colour management settings) you get the closest it can get in CMYK percentages when it converts. You cannot go backwards. This CMYK mix now needs a different set of RGB values to display it properly on screen, so the HEX values change accordingly.

fyi: a HEX colour is just the values for RGB in hex numeral notation. The first two letters are the Red, the middle two are the Green and the last two are the Blue. e.g. Black = 0R 0G 0B = 000000; White = 256R 256G 256B = FFFFFF

If you want a standard CMYK mix for your characters and you are working in CMYK documents, DO NOT USE RGB/HEX as your standard.

Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Correct answer

Community Expert

Just so you know what's happening: HEX numbers (which are RGB, as Monika has mentioned) do not translate to CMYK exactly, so (based on your colour management settings) you get the closest it can get in CMYK percentages when it converts. You cannot go backwards. This CMYK mix now needs a different set of RGB values to display it properly on screen, so the HEX values change accordingly.

fyi: a HEX colour is just the values for RGB in hex numeral notation. The first two letters are the Red, the middle two are the Green and the last two are the Blue. e.g. Black = 0R 0G 0B = 000000; White = 256R 256G 256B = FFFFFF

If you want a standard CMYK mix for your characters and you are working in CMYK documents, DO NOT USE RGB/HEX as your standard.

W

woodya9882332Author

Known Participant

Very helpful, thank you

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Woody Abbott
(214) 725-7377

Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Community Expert

Frankly, you can set any standard you like be it RGB/Pantone/CMYK as long as you know how they will behave throughout the process, but I always find it cross purpose to always specify a colour in RGB that's never going to be printable in your main output scenario. It's more consistent to specify an RGB based on what your preferred CMYK turns out to be. e.g. in your case, that would be the second HEX you were getting. Going forward, if someone uses THAT colour, even if their own color settings convert to a different CMYK (which will happen), since it was already in the ballpark, the chances it matching in in general appearance is greater.