Describes a color space that can be defined only by using information on the color-rendering capabilities of a specific device. 

Both RGB and CMYK are referred to as "device-dependent" color spaces because the colors they define are directly related to a particular device (a "device" may refer to a monitor, or a printer, or any other output device). For example, in the television showroom of an electronics store, while all the televisions may display the same program, each television displays a slightly different color. This is because each television has its own unique RGB color space. Likewise, each printer has a particular CMYK color space; therefore, the same CMYK values obtain different results on different printers.

You cannot accurately convert the colors in one device-dependent color space to another device-dependent color space in a direct process. Like two different languages, they need an interpreter to allow for accurate communication.

See Color Management.

See Device - Independent Color Space.