How We See Color; Primary Colors - Lexmark Optra C710 User Manual

How we see color

Primary colors

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Chapter 4: Using color
When we see color, we actually see light that is passed through
or reflected from an object. What our eyes perceive as visible
light are wavelengths. Our eyes are sensitive to three specific
wavelengths. They are the colors red, green, and blue.
When you view your monitor, you see red, green, and blue light
that is projected into your eyes. This is known as additive color.
Red
Additive color begins with black and adds red, green, and blue
to produce the colors you can see. If you add equal amounts of
Green
red, green, and blue, you produce white. The images and colors
you see on your screen are created using various amounts of red,
green, and blue.
Blue
Notice the three primary additive colors red, green, and blue in
the illustration. You can see that when all three colors are com-
bined, you get white. However, look at the area where any two
colors overlap. What you see is cyan, magenta, or yellow. Equal
amounts of green and blue produce cyan. Equal amounts of blue
and red produce magenta, and equal amounts of red and green
produce yellow. The inks used to place color on your printed
material are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
The colors in newspapers, magazines, and the documents you
print are based on the light being reflected from the printed
material and into your eyes. The color you see is subtractive
color. Subtractive color begins with white light. Portions of the
white light wavelength are then subtracted based on the colors
present on the printed page. What this means is the light reach-
ing your document is partially absorbed by the ink placed on the
page. For example, when white light encounters cyan, it absorbs
the red wavelength in the light and reflects blue and green
toward your eyes.
If you add equal amounts of cyan, magenta, and yellow, you cre-
ate black. When you combine these colors equally in your
printed material you create what is known as processed black.
Processed black when printed looks like a very dirty or muddy
brown. Because of this, your printer has a black print cartridge
to provide you with true black for all your printing needs.