3 Replies Latest reply: Jun 12, 2013 3:42 AM by CHMprepress

'Darken' behaves like 'Multiply' in CMYK mode

alanomaly Jun 12, 2013 3:02 AM

In RGB documents, the 'Darken' transparency blend mode doesn't change colours, but only shows a colour if it is darker that the colour underneath it.

In CMYK documents, 'Darken' acts differently. It does the same thing as 'Multiply': it darkens the top colour based on the colour underneath. In CMYK mode, 'Darken' and 'Multiply' seem to do exactly the same thing.

How can I get an object in a CMYK document to do what 'Darken' does in an RGB document - only show if it has a darker value than the colour underneath?

(side question: why does 'Darken' behave like 'Multiply' in CMYK mode? What's the point of having two different blend modes that do the same thing?)

Here's Adobe's official description of Darken. This matches how it behaves in RGB, but not how it behaves in CMYK:

Darken

Selects the base or blend color—whichever is darker—as the resulting color. Areas lighter than the blend color are replaced. Areas darker than the blend color do not change.

1. Re: 'Darken' behaves like 'Multiply' in CMYK mode

CHMprepress Jun 12, 2013 3:02 AM (in response to alanomaly)

Do you have a example?
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2. Re: 'Darken' behaves like 'Multiply' in CMYK mode

alanomaly Jun 12, 2013 3:17 AM (in response to CHMprepress)

Okay, so these two shapes (white stroke, solid fill) with 'Darken' blend mode look like this in RGB mode, which matches the description and expectations:

...but they look like this with 'Darken' blend mode when we switch to CMYK.

Looking at it more closely, it seems like it might be something to do with the different seperations: in the RGB example the overlap area isn't exactly the same as the normal blue as I thought it was at first.

It's also not always exactly the same as multiply as it was the first couple of times I tested: multiply seems to often blend darker.

So is there anything that simply only shows the darker of the colours?
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3. Re: 'Darken' behaves like 'Multiply' in CMYK mode

CHMprepress Jun 12, 2013 3:42 AM (in response to alanomaly)

What is the colour buildup in CMYK of the 2 rectangles. Becourse Darken Darkens only the exact same sepparations.
If you make 1 rectangle with a gradient from 0 to 100% Cyan and on top you put a rectangle with 50% cyan flat. Than you will see what the difference is between Multiply and Darken.
And yes RGB and CMYK are completely different colormodes.

Here is a example, on top is multiply bottom darken: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/275719/FTPlinks/Screen%20Shot%202013-06-12%20at%2012.4 0.11.pdf
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'Darken' behaves like 'Multiply' in CMYK mode

1. Re: 'Darken' behaves like 'Multiply' in CMYK mode

2. Re: 'Darken' behaves like 'Multiply' in CMYK mode

3. Re: 'Darken' behaves like 'Multiply' in CMYK mode

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