CcMmYK color model

[1] It complements the more common four-color CMYK process, which uses only cyan, magenta, yellow and black, by adding light cyan and light magenta.

Individually, light cyan is often abbreviated Lc or c, and light magenta Lm or m. CcMmYK colorants reduce graininess in the middle tone region.

[2] This reduced graininess typically improves the photographic appearance of blue skies and some flesh tones.

The resulting graininess is hard to notice with yellow because yellow is perceived as a very light color, but sparse individual cyan and magenta ink dots, e.g. for a pale blue sky, can be discernible against a white background.

By using light cyan and light magenta, the printer can saturate areas that would typically use halftoning with these inks to remove the look of sparse magenta and cyan dots.

An image printed with a CcMmYKk ink set, on both paper and canvas stock. The ink cartridges used are also shown.