RGB and CMY color systems

rgb / cmy

The similarities and differences between RGB and CMY color systems:

What looks like ordinary white light, such as sunlight, is actually composed of a multicolored band of light, known as the visible spectrum. We see these colors when light passes through a prism, or when it is broken up by water droplets in the sky, creating a rainbow.

Isaac Newton was the first person to discover that white light contains these multicolored hues, and proved it in 1665 by using a second prism to turn the rainbow back into one beam of light. Try Newton's experiments yourself!

The colors of the visible spectrum are: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, always appearing in this order. An easy way to remember this is by remembering ROY G. BIV - his name spells out their initials.

Newton was the first person to draw these colors as a wheel. His diagram is at right –>

There are really an infinite number of colors, filling in all the areas between the points for which we have names. Roll your mouse over the color wheel below.

Isaac Newton's original color wheel drawing.

In any system of color, primary colors are pure colors that can't be formed by mixing any of the others. When you mix the three primary colors together you either get either white or black, depending on which color "system" you are using.
1) Additive (RGB) Color:
is the color system we use when we are talking about the colors coming from a light source, like the sun or a lightbulb. This system has Red, Green and Blue as its primary colors, and when mixed together in equal parts they create white. From these three colors, every other color of light can be made. Televisions, movies, and computer screens all project red, green and blue dots called pixels. These pixels create the variation in shades and images that are formed on the screen, as the light coming through the screen reaches our eyes. See for yourself how additive RGB colors work.

2) Subtractive (CMY) Color:
is the second color system, and uses Cyan, Magenta and Yellow as its primary colors. This system is based on light that we see reflected off surfaces such as the printed page, and these are the colors of ink used by the printing industry, From these, all of the other colors can be made, and when they are mixed together in equal parts, they make black. Printers always add black ink (the shorthand for which is "K") as a fourth color because it comes out darker, and it is more efficient to print one spot of black than to print the three primary colors on top of each other. Printers inks are always specified in CMYK values. Mix subtractive CMY colors yourself.

class notes
continue ->

What looks like ordinary white light, such as sunlight, is actually composed of a multicolored band of light, known as the visible spectrum. We see these colors when light passes through a prism, or when it is broken up by water droplets in the sky, creating a rainbow.
Isaac Newton was the first person to discover that white light contains these multicolored hues, and proved it in 1665 by using a second prism to turn the rainbow back into one beam of light. Try Newton's experiments yourself!
The colors of the visible spectrum are: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, always appearing in this order. An easy way to remember this is by remembering ROY G. BIV - his name spells out their initials. Newton was the first person to draw these colors as a wheel. His diagram is at right –> There are really an infinite number of colors, filling in all the areas between the points for which we have names. Roll your mouse over the color wheel below.		Isaac Newton's original color wheel drawing.
In any system of color, primary colors are pure colors that can't be formed by mixing any of the others. When you mix the three primary colors together you either get either white or black, depending on which color "system" you are using. 1) Additive (RGB) Color: is the color system we use when we are talking about the colors coming from a light source, like the sun or a lightbulb. This system has Red, Green and Blue as its primary colors, and when mixed together in equal parts they create white. From these three colors, every other color of light can be made. Televisions, movies, and computer screens all project red, green and blue dots called pixels. These pixels create the variation in shades and images that are formed on the screen, as the light coming through the screen reaches our eyes. See for yourself how additive RGB colors work. 2) Subtractive (CMY) Color: is the second color system, and uses Cyan, Magenta and Yellow as its primary colors. This system is based on light that we see reflected off surfaces such as the printed page, and these are the colors of ink used by the printing industry, From these, all of the other colors can be made, and when they are mixed together in equal parts, they make black. Printers always add black ink (the shorthand for which is "K") as a fourth color because it comes out darker, and it is more efficient to print one spot of black than to print the three primary colors on top of each other. Printers inks are always specified in CMYK values. Mix subtractive CMY colors yourself.