RGB versus CMYK: which statements best describe their device gamut and typical use-cases?

• A. RGB is used for print and CMYK for screens.
• B. RGB and CMYK have identical color gamuts.
• C. RGB has a narrower gamut than CMYK.
• D. RGB has a wider gamut for screens; CMYK is used for print with a narrower gamut; convert colors accordingly.

Answer: (D)

Color spaces reflect how devices reproduce color. Screens emit light using RGB (additive), while printers lay down cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks on white paper (subtractive CMYK). Because mixing light can reach more saturated colors than mixing pigments, the RGB gamut shown on screens is generally wider than the CMYK gamut achievable in print. In practice this means you design for screens in RGB and then convert to CMYK for printing, adjusting as needed with color management and soft-proofing to keep as much of the original color as possible. The statement that captures this idea is that RGB has a wider gamut for screens, CMYK is used for print with a narrower gamut, and colors are converted accordingly. The other options don’t fit because RGB is not used for print, CMYK is not for screens, the gamuts aren’t identical, and RGB isn’t narrower than CMYK.