Table of Contents
In this blog article we explain what additive and subtractive colour mixing are and what they exactly mean. We wish you a lot of reading pleasure!
The additive colour mixing
In additive colour mixing, the primary colours of light red, green and blue are collected in one place and superimposed on each otherlaid. As soon as you do this, white light is created.
If you combine just the red and green radiation, you get yellow. This also happens when the cones in the eye are stimulated by simultaneous radiation of red and green light - you then see yellow.
How many (mixed) colours can be formed from the primary colours depends on the gradations of the light intensities of the individual primary colours, and these in turn depend on the available colour depth.
The basic principle of additive colour mixing can easily be tried out by yourself. Direct the light cones of spotlights orflashlights in red, blue and green on one surface. The result is white light when the three primary colours have the same intensity.
If only two colours are added, the following mixed colours are created:
Mixing colours additive colour mixing
Red + Green = Yellow
Red + Blue = magenta (purple)
Green + Blue = cyan (blue-green)
Red + Green + Blue = White
Each of the three basic colours can have a different shade, i.e. intensity. Depending on the number of gradations used, all conceivable mixing colours, i.e. shades, can be produced. If no colour shines, it is black on itprojection surface. This colour wheel can be used to demonstrate the laws of additive colour mixing:
All colours of the colour wheel can be obtained by mixing the three primary colours red, green and blue. By mixing the three primary colours with the same intensity, white is obtained. Any colour on the colour wheel can be created by mixing two adjacent colours. Opposite colours of the colour wheel produce white when mixed (complementary colours).
The subtractive colour mixing
The subtractive principle of colour mixing is known frompainting with inkwells. The ink colours can be mixed with almost any colour imaginable. Theoretically, the base colours (primary colours) cyan (blue-green), magenta (purple), and yellow would be sufficient to produce all other colours.
Subtractive colour mixing can be seen on painted surfaces. The pigment colours (spots) absorb (= subtract) from the incident light all colour components except those in the colour of which they are seen. The remaining light forms a mixed colour.
The secondary colours of light are the primary colours of the pigment colours in painting, since all other colours of the colour wheel are obtained by subtractive mixing of the colours yellow, magenta and cyan.
Mixing colours subtractive colour mixing
Primary colour Secondary colour
Yellow + Magenta = Red
Cyan + Yellow = Green
Cyan + Magenta = Blue
Subtractive colour mixing is used in printing houses, as well as in commercial and household printers. Special inks and toners developed for this purpose transfer the colour pigments to the paper point by point in the correct mixing ratio.
In practice, however, this does not work so smoothly. The production of transparent inks is very difficult. They have to be on top of each other and still get through completely without any loss. Another problem is the inevitable impurities that distort the printing result even in the smallest quantities. Thefor example, basic colours do not produce the expected deep black, even at the highest intensity. To meet our colour experience and expectations, the main colour black is added
Distinguish between colours
Additive colour mixing involves light mixing. Red light and green light result in yellow light, the television is a good example. Subtractive colour mixing involves mixing substances. Yellow colour paste and cyan colour paste make green colour paste as a mixture.
