The designation for the subtractive color system used in pigment printers. CMYK refers to the colors that make up the system – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and black. In the CMYK subtractive color system, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black pigments or inks are applied to a white surface to filter that color light information from the white surface to create the final color. Black is used because cyan, magenta, and yellow cannot be combined to create a true black; rather it is a muddy brown.