CMYK

The CMYK color model (process color, four color) is a subtractive color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process. Though it varies by print house, ink is typically applied in the order of the abbreviation. The K in CMYK stands for key since in four-color printing cyan, magenta, and yellow printing plates are carefully keyed or aligned with the key of the black key plate. Some sources suggest that the K in CMYK comes from the last letter in black and was chosen because B already means blue.