What is a Color Gamut?
A color gamut is the range of colors that a device or color space can reproduce. Think of it as a color palette with boundaries - some colors are inside the palette (achievable), and some are outside (impossible to reproduce).
The horseshoe shape below is the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram, representing all colors visible to the human eye. The triangles and polygons inside show what subset of those colors different systems can actually produce.
Hover over the diagram to explore color spaces. The panel shows actual colors and their nearest printable equivalents.
Key Concepts
Gamut Size Varies
sRGB is larger than CMYK for saturated colors, but CMYK can produce some deep colors sRGB cannot. Pantone inks can reach colors outside both, especially vivid oranges and greens.
Out-of-Gamut Colors
When you send an sRGB image to print, colors outside the CMYK gamut must be mapped to the nearest reproducible color. This is called gamut mapping and can cause unexpected shifts.
Convert Early
Convert your images to CMYK early in your workflow. This lets you see and adjust for gamut loss on screen rather than being surprised when prints arrive.
Practical Tips for Print Designers
- Soft-proof your work - In Photoshop, use
View > Proof Colors(Ctrl/Cmd+Y) to preview how your design will look in CMYK. - Watch for saturated colors - Bright cyans, electric blues, and neon greens are the most likely to shift when printed.
- Use Pantone for critical colors - If brand color accuracy is critical, specify Pantone spot colors rather than relying on CMYK conversion.
- Check the gamut warning - In Photoshop,
View > Gamut Warninghighlights out-of-gamut pixels in gray. - Perceptual intent for photos - When converting photos, use Perceptual rendering intent to preserve smooth gradients.