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| Understanding Color/Light and Color | Index | Home |
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The three primary colors |
White light is produced by mixing 100% of all three primary colors. Subtracting red produces cyan (a mixture of blue and green). Subtracting green produces magenta, and subtracting blue produces yellow. When an object absorbs red and reflects blue and green, we perceive the color to be cyan. |
The expression of color by subtraction of one component from white light is called subtractive mixing. |
Paints or dyes reproduce color by the subtractive method: when the dye or pigment absorbs red and reflects green and blue light, we see cyan. When it absorbs green and reflects red and blue, we see magenta. When it absorbs blue and reflects red and green, we see yellow. Cyan, magenta, and yellow are the three primary colors used in subtractive mixing. |
Black is often added when reproducing subtractive color, giving us the four-color CMYK model. |
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Compare:Understanding Color/The three primary colors of light |
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