CMYKre

CMYKre is an extended color model concept used in printing and color reproduction. It builds on the standard CMYK system—cyan, magenta, yellow, and black—by incorporating two additional inks, commonly described as red and emerald (or otherwise labeled R and e). The resulting inkset forms a six-color process intended to broaden the achievable color gamut and improve fidelity for certain hues, particularly saturated reds and greens, across various substrates.

In practical terms, CMYKre implies new press configurations, ink formulations, and device-specific ICC profiles that accommodate separations for C, M, Y, K, R, and e. Color management workflows would map source RGB or LAB values to the six-channel inkset, with prepress files carrying multiple separations and carefully tuned tonal relationships. It is not a standardized or universally adopted format; rather, it appears in industry discussions as a theoretical or provisional approach to extended gamut printing.

Advantages of CMYKre include a wider color gamut for challenging reds and greens, potentially richer branding colors, and reduced reliance on spot colors for some applications. Limitations involve higher production costs, more complex ink management and drying behavior, potential ink-to-ink interactions, longer press setup times, and the need for substrate- and printer-specific profiling.

CMYKre remains largely a concept used in discussions of extended gamut and color management. Real-world adoption varies, and successful implementation depends on coordinated inksets, presses, and workflow profiling. See also CMYK, extended gamut printing, six-color printing, inkset.