About Colors; Rgb And Cmyk Models - Minolta CF5001 User Manual

About Colors

RGB and CMYK Models

Have you ever wondered why the world surrounding us appears colored to our eyes?
Light is electromagnetic waves with wavelengths between about 380 - 780 nm, also called
visible rays. The wavelengths of visible rays can be separated into the rainbow colors
violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, from the shortest wavelength in order.
When all the wavelengths of the visible rays strike your eye at the same time, white color is
perceived. We see the objects in color because they reflect or transmit visible light of
different wavelengths or frequencies.
Slit
White light
The colors separated from visible light are called primary colors. Primary colors cannot be
produced from other colors. These colors, however, can be combined to make up any
other color (color mixture).
The color mixture provides two different types, three primary colors of light and three
primary colors of pigment. The three primary colors of light are called additive color
mixture, and the more colors are added, the brighter it will be. Mixing red (R), green (G),
and blue (B) colored lights, various colors can be created.
The three primary colors of pigment are called subtractive color mixture, and the more
colors are added, the darker it will be. Various colors can be created by mixing cyan (C),
magenta (M), and yellow (Y) pigments (such as ink or toner), however, black (K) is actually
used as the fourth color in addition to the three primary pigments.
Three primary colors of light
7-2
Prism
Visible rays
(m)
10 8
10 6
(nm)
780
10 4
750
10 2
700
1
650
10 -2
600
10 -4
10 -6
550
10 -8
500
10 -10
450
10 -12
400
10 -14
380
Electromagnetic wave
Three primary colors of pigment
Light Color
Reflection