Adobe Illustrator CC 2015 User Manual
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Color
Last updated 6/5/2015
A Cyan B Magenta C Yellow D Black
You can work with color values using the CMYK color mode, which is based on the CMYK color model. In CMYK
mode, each of the CMYK process inks can use a value ranging from 0 to 100%. The lightest colors are assigned small
percentages of process ink colors; darker colors have higher percentage values. For example, a bright red might contain
2% cyan, 93% magenta, 90% yellow, and 0% black. In CMYK objects, low ink percentages are closer to white, and high
ink percentages are closer to black.
Use CMYK when preparing a document to be printed using process inks.
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HSB
Based on the human perception of color, the HSB model describes three fundamental characteristics of color:
Hue
Color reflected from or transmitted through an object. It is measured as a location on the standard color wheel,
expressed as a degree between 0° and 360°. In common use, hue is identified by the name of the color, such as red,
orange, or green.
Saturation
Strength or purity of the color (sometimes called chroma). Saturation represents the amount of gray in
proportion to the hue, measured as a percentage from 0% (gray) to 100% (fully saturated). On the standard color wheel,
saturation increases from the center to the edge.
Brightness
Relative lightness or darkness of the color, usually measured as a percentage from 0% (black) to 100%
(white).
A Hue B Saturation C Brightness
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