CcMmYK, sometimes referred to as CMYKLcLm or CMYKcm, is a six-color printing process used in some

inkjet printer Inkjet printing is a type of computer printing that recreates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper and plastic substrates. Inkjet printers were the most commonly used type of printer in 2008, and range from small inexpensi ...

s optimized for photo printing. It complements the more common four color

CMYK The CMYK color model (also known as process color, or four color) is a subtractive color model, based on the CMY color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. The abbreviation ''CMYK'' refers ...

process, which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black), by adding light cyan and light

magenta Magenta () is a color that is variously defined as pinkish- purplish- red, reddish-purplish-pink or mauvish-crimson. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located exactly midway between red and blu ...

. Individually, light cyan is often abbreviated to Lc or c, and light magenta is represented as Lm or m.

Advantages of CcMmYK over CMYK

The most noticeable result of using light cyan and light magenta inks is the removal of a distinct and harsh halftone or

dither Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often ...

dot appearance that appears in prints that use light shades of cyan or magenta on the pure

ink configuration. Usually when printing a dark color the printer will saturate the area with colored ink dots, but will use fewer ink dots to create the effect of a light color. The result is hard to notice with yellow because yellow is perceived as a very light color. However, the individual cyan and magenta ink dots will stand out in a sparse pattern due to their darker color against a white background; the result is undesirable when it is noticed. By using light cyan or magenta, the printer can saturate areas that would typically use halftoning with these inks to remove the look of sparse magenta and cyan dots. The downside is the printer needs approximately twice as much light cyan and magenta ink in areas to achieve the same saturation as pure cyan/magenta which can lead to excess ink usage. The result, however, is significantly better for some photos. CcMmYK colorants reduce graininess in the middle tone region. This reduced graininess typically improves the photographic appearance of

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

skies and some flesh tones.

References

{{Color space Color space Printing terminology