COLOR MODELS

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RGB and CMY colors

There are many ways of looking at color. Two of the most widely used color models are RGB and CMY(K).

RGB is the additive color model used when emitted light forms an image on a television or computer monitor. Its primary colors are Red, Blue, and Green, and its secondary colors are Magenta (Red + Blue), Cyan (Blue + Green), and Yellow (Green + Red). When all three colors combine, they form white, and the absence of all color appears black.

CMY, the complement of RGB, is the subtractive color model used when light is either absorbed or reflected by a surface. When white light falls on the surface, colors which are present are absorbed, and any colors not present are reflected and perceived by the eye. The primary colors in this model are Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow, and the secondary colors are Blue (Cyan + Magenta), Green (Cyan + Yellow), and Red (Yellow + Magenta). When all three colors combine, they form black, and the absence of all color appears white (e.g. a blank sheet of paper).

In the printing industry, this is referred to as the CMYK model, with K standing for blacK (B already stands for Blue). This is because while Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow do add up to black, it is cheaper and more effective to print with black ink in addition to the primary colors.