Are you using color in the design of your thesis? Then it’s good to know that not all colors are created equal—even if they look the same to the naked eye. When it comes to printing your thesis, it’s essential to use a specific color system. Which one that is, you’ll find out in this blog.
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PMS, RGB, or CMYK?
Once you start exploring the world of color, you’ll quickly come across lots of technical terms. Tempted to forget them immediately? Don’t! It’s actually important to know which color mode to use. Here’s a quick overview:
CMYK: For print work—including theses—the CMYK color model is used. The letters stand for cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). By mixing these four inks, you can create a wide range of colors. That makes CMYK ideal for printed materials!
PMS: PMS stands for Pantone Matching System. This color system is used worldwide. The benefit of PMS is that colors are always consistent. That’s why it’s commonly used for materials where color accuracy is critical—such as brand-related print work. However, the PMS system is not typically used for printing PhD theses.
RGB: RGB colors are made up of red, green, and blue (not yellow, as the original said). This color model is used for screens only and is never intended for print. Since the layout of your thesis starts on screen, it’s possible that your file contains RGB colors. Later in this blog, we’ll explain what to do if that’s the case.
Which color system should you use for your thesis?
The colors in your design file should be in CMYK. If your designer has used RGB or PMS colors, these need to be converted to CMYK. This requires some technical adjustments. Gildeprint can take care of this for you, or you can ask your own designer to handle it.
Checking your colors
Once the conversion is done, it’s crucial to double-check your colors. Converting from RGB or PMS to CMYK can cause color shifts—and in some cases, the difference can be significant!
That’s why we recommend reviewing the CMYK colors in your digital proof. This will give you a good idea of how the colors will appear in the printed version and help avoid delays in the production process.
Need help with the layout of your thesis? We’re here for you!
Click here for more information
