Why Your Screen Colors Vanish Compared to CMYK Prints – The Cyan Shock!

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:08:15 +0000

# Why Your Screen Colors Vanish Compared to CMYK Prints: The Cyan Shock Explained If you’ve ever wondered why vibrant, saturated colors on your computer screen seem to disappear when printed, the culprit is often the fundamental difference between RGB (screen colors) and CMYK (print colors)—specifically, the loss of true cyan hues during conversion. This phenomenon is something designers and print professionals call “Cyan Shock,” and understanding it can dramatically improve your print quality and color consistency. ## The RGB vs CMYK Color Wars At the heart of the issue lies the color model each medium uses: