Which color mode is primarily used for printing in Adobe Illustrator?

The CMYK color mode is primarily used for printing in Adobe Illustrator because it is based on the four colors of ink commonly used in color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (key). This color mode is designed to reflect how colors are created on paper, where the inks mix subtractively. In contrast, RGB (red, green, blue) is an additive color model used for digital displays, where colors are created by mixing light instead of inks.

HSB (hue, saturation, brightness) and LAB (CIE Lab*) are color models utilized for different purposes, such as adjusting colors in a more intuitive way or providing a color space that encompasses all possible colors visible to the human eye, respectively. However, they are not specifically designed for printing applications like CMYK. Therefore, for any work that is intended to be printed, using CMYK ensures that the colors appear as intended when transferred from digital to physical media.