[kurt28]

Why does it really matter which color mode you work in on the computer when each color is going to get printed as black on your transparency film anyway?

Not only that, but neither CMYK and RGB color mode is going to be exact matches to your ink colors are they?

 

[geniussuineg]

I'm not sure if you are asking a question or taking a stand but, color mode is important. Also that depends on what you are using or how you are intending to do your color separations. CMYK is only for four color process, RGB is for display on screen, and Pantone is for spot colors. Pantone also provides exact color matches if you have the color chart. Just like at the paint store or Home Depot. There is a one for screen printing. You need the colors in your design to match to get correct separations. And again, that depends on what you are planning to do separations. For instance, if you have four different blues ( that may look similar on screen) in your design you will get four different transparencies for blue. When you use Pantone colors to match the different shades or tones of one specific blue this will provide one transparency for blue. The more you advance the more it will matter. What program are you using anyway to do your art?

 

[ScreenFoo]

I feel like there's a one word answer to this question--Gamut.

 

[Flagrant-T]

May or may not matter. If you are using CorelDraw and you design in Pantone colors, spot separations are done automatically for you and all you have to do is print them out. If I am using PS, it doesn't really mater because I (usually) separate using channels or levels. In this case you are right, I am only printing out black posititives and the ink mixture will determine the color on the shirt.

Good luck,
Nick

 

[Flagrant-T]

I feel like there's a one word answer to this question--Gamut.

Learned a new word today! Had to look that one up on Wikilipedea.

 

[kurt28]

No, I wasn't taking a stand. I'm just a newbie trying to understand why people go back and forth on this forum about which color mode is better.

CMYK, RGB, Pantone. It seems to me, and correct me if I'm wrong (I'm just trying to understand this stuff), that what ever color mode you use, they're only useful as far as helping you to visualize your artwork on the screen. Because once you go to print them onto your film positive, each color will get printed seperately as black. Unless there is some other way of screen printing that I've never heard anyone talk about where you would print colors onto your film positive.

And of course, I can see how a certain color mode might be a closer match to the kind of ink you will be using on your t-shirts. I was going to use CorelDraw and do spot color. So I guess maybe I should use pantone color mode to get as close to my ink. But regardless, I will be printing each color as black on my film positive no?

 

[red514]

CMYK, RGB, Pantone. It seems to me, and correct me if I'm wrong (I'm just trying to understand this stuff), that what ever color mode you use, they're only useful as far as helping you to visualize your artwork on the screen. Because once you go to print them onto your film positive, each color will get printed seperately as black. Unless there is some other way of screen printing that I've never heard anyone talk about where you would print colors onto your film positive.

And of course, I can see how a certain color mode might be a closer match to the kind of ink you will be using on your t-shirts. I was going to use CorelDraw and do spot color. So I guess maybe I should use pantone color mode to get as close to my ink. But regardless, I will be printing each color as black on my film positive no?

Pantone is not a color mode, it's a color matching system and the standard in the industry ( Pantone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

your original question was asking why it matters what color mode you work in. When designing, the color mode defines the available gamut. CMYK has a much smaller gamut then RGB does. When designing, you would want to start in RGB to take advantage of the full color gamut available.

If you know you will be doing 4c process printing, you can design in CMYK mode as you know that any color you use can be reproduced with 4color process.

 

[ScreenFoo]

There are some ins and outs to it, for sure--It'd be nice if someone wrote a good book on the subject.

For instance--as I understand it, most profiled graphics programs will store color info in a LAB mode, and then uses your RGB or CMYK profile to more accurately display or print your graphics. It's a kind of 'translation' for your output device.

I'd point out that you'll want to read all you can on ICC standards if you're getting into higher end work.