lahutusvärvide

Lahutusvärvid, also known as separation colors, are a fundamental concept in color printing and graphic design. They refer to the primary colors used to reproduce a full spectrum of colors on paper or other media. The most common set of lahutusvärvid used in modern printing is cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, often abbreviated as CMYK.

In the printing process, a full-color image is broken down into separate plates, with each plate carrying the ink for one of the lahutusvärvid. When these plates are layered on top of each other with precise registration, the individual colors blend optically to create the illusion of a wide range of hues and shades. Cyan, a bluish-green, absorbs red light. Magenta, a purplish-red, absorbs green light. Yellow, a bright yellow, absorbs blue light. Black, or key, is included to add depth, contrast, and to reproduce dark tones more effectively, as mixing the other three colors doesn't always produce a pure, dense black.

The concept of lahutusvärvid originated from the understanding of subtractive color mixing, where pigments absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others. By controlling the amount of each primary ink applied, printers can achieve a vast array of colors. The accuracy of the separation process and the quality of the inks are crucial for achieving faithful color reproduction. Historically, other sets of separation colors were used, but CMYK has become the industry standard due to its efficiency and ability to produce a wide gamut of colors suitable for most applications.