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Color Theory Basics - Additive and Subtractive Color
Color is a sensory perception and can be identified and explained in a variety of ways. Businesses like printers use the tri-stimulus color theory as the basis for explaining the phenomenon of color in imaging applications.
Additive Color Theory states that in the natural world white light is made up of three basic components: Red, Green and Blue light. In theory adding these three primary colors of light, red, green, and blue, together achieve white. The theory goes on to suggest when any two of the primary colors are added together they make the secondary colors: Cyan, Magenta and Yellow.
The Color Star is a good tool to reinforce how color works. Use the Color Star to figure out and learn how colors are created such as: Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. Color Star Relationships Recognize that the secondary colors such as: Cyan, Magenta and Yellow are the compliments of Red, Green and Blue colors.
Subtractive Color Theory explains how cyan, magenta, and yellow pigments or inks on paper subtracts white light components. Since white light is made up of red, green and blue light, the inks subtract out that particular portion or color of light. Whatever light that is left is recognized by the eye as a particular hue.
These two theories (Additive and Subtractive) are the fundamental principles that explain how color imaging and the color separation process works.
Both theories illustrate the connection of white light (the additive process) and how it is sub-tracted by printing inks (CMYK) to express color (the subtractive process) on the printed sheet.
This is about subtractive color theory.
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