RGB and CMYK numbers describe different representations. A screen preview does not make them interchangeable recipes for the printed pack.
Name the representation
RGB represents colour through red, green and blue channel values. CMYK represents process-ink values for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The specific working or device colour space gives those numbers their context, and conversion between spaces may change them. Primary reference: Adobe: RGB and CMYK colour modes.
A CMYK file is still displayed through a screen representation when viewed on a monitor. Its attractive appearance on that screen is therefore not a direct view of printed ink on the actual substrate. Keep the target output condition with the file's mode.
Compare a fictional handoff record
Suppose one approval record says only red and provides an RGB triplet, while another gives CMYK percentages without identifying a target printing condition. Neither incomplete record allows a receiver to establish that the two describe equivalent intended output.
Adding a colour-model label resolves the kind of numbers but not all their meaning. The source and destination spaces, conversion method and agreed proof evidence remain relevant. This example supplies no universal conversion table, brand-colour recipe or claim that one colour mode guarantees more accurate print.
Keep conversion with the release
Retain the released file's actual colour mode and its applicable profile information. Ask which step will convert colour data for the intended output. Avoid an unspecified automatic conversion becoming the only record behind a later appearance difference.
Compare the final proof against the approved colour requirement under the agreed viewing method. If an image is converted again after approval, review the new release rather than assuming the original screen decision still applies. The handoff should identify both the numeric representation and the physical output evidence used to judge it.
Customer Questions
Are RGB numbers direct CMYK ink percentages?
No. They belong to different representations.
Does viewing a CMYK file show physical ink directly?
No. The monitor presents a screen rendering.
What belongs with a colour-mode label?
Retain the actual colour-space, conversion and output-condition information.
Primary References
These references support the technical principles discussed in this guide. The worked examples and review questions are educational.
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