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Class 5 ColorModel 01

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15 views11 pages

Class 5 ColorModel 01

Uploaded by

oggu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Color Model of Light

How We See
• The inner surfaces of your eyes contain photoreceptors (retina) –
specialized cells that are sensitive to light and relay messages to
your brain.
• The human eye has three types of color receptors, called cones,
that are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. These cones
are responsible for our ability to see colors.
• Rods are another type of sensor, which are more sensitive to
intensity. Rods are 4 times higher than cones.
• We are able to see an object when light from the object enters
your eyes and strikes these photoreceptors.
How We See
• However, humans can only see visible light, a narrow band of
the electromagnetic spectrum.
• This spectrum includes non-visible radio waves (AM, FM,
microwave), infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-rays, and alpha,
beta, gamma rays, etc.
• In terms of wavelengths, visible light ranges from about 400
nm to 700 nm. (always, freq. × wavelength = 3×107m/sec)
• Some objects are luminous and give off their own light; all
other objects can only be seen if they reflect light into our eyes.
Color Model of Light
• There are two main categories of color models:
subtractive and additive.
• An additive color model (like the RGB/RGBA model) is
based on transmitting light. Monitor
• Subtractive color models (like CMY/CMYK) are based on
reflected light. Printer
Achromatic Light
• Achromatic Light: “without color,” quantity of light only
• Called intensity, luminance, or measure of light’s energy/brightness
• The psychophysical sense of perceived intensity
• Gray levels (e.g., from 0.0 to 1.0)
• We can distinguish approximately 128 gray levels
• Seen on black and white displays
• Monochrome Light: Only two levels
Additive (Light) Color Primaries

• Red, green, and blue are the primary colors of light—they can be combined in different
proportions to make all other colors.
• For example, red light and green light added together are seen as yellow light. (The brightness
of yellow is greater than red or green)
• This additive color system is used by light sources, such as televisions and computer monitors,
to create a wide range of colors.
• When different proportions of red, green, and blue light enter your eye, your brain is able to
interpret the different combinations as different colors.
Subtractive (Pigment) Color Primaries
• However, there is another set of primary colors with which you may be more familiar.
The primary colors of pigment (also known as subtractive primaries) are used when
producing colors from reflected light; for example, when mixing paint or using a color
printer. The primary colors of pigment are magenta, yellow, and cyan (commonly
simplified as red, yellow, and blue).
• Pigments are chemicals that absorb selective wavelengths—they prevent certain
wavelengths of light from being transmitted or reflected. Because paints contain
pigments, when white light (which is composed of red, green, and blue light) shines
on colored paint, only some of the wavelengths of light are reflected. For example,
cyan paint absorbs red light but reflects blue and green light; yellow paint absorbs blue
light but reflects red and green light.
A Comparison

Y
C

RGB Color Model (Additive) CMY Color Model (Subtractive)


RGB vs CMY color Cube

Yellow Magenta Blue


Green
(0,1,0) (0,1,0) (1,1,0)
(1,1,0)
Cyan Red Black
White
(1,1,1) (0,1,1) (1,1,1)
(0,1,1)

Black Red White Cyan


(0,0,0) (1,0,0) (0,0,0) (1,0,0)

(0,0,1) (1,0,1) (0,0,1) (1,0,1)


Blue Magenta Yellow Green

RGB Color Cube CMY Color Cube


RGB color cube edges RGB color cube
Key Differences Between RGB and CMY
1. RGB color model is known as the additive model because these colors produce a
brighter outcome when added with light. Conversely, CMY is a subtractive model
where we begin with the white sheet of paper, and for getting the dark result, you
need to add more ink to it.
2. The RGB model is mainly implemented in the display monitors for generating
various colors. In contrast, CMY is utilized in printing material majorly.
3. In the RGB model, the light is used for changing the produced color intensity. On
the contrary, in CMY model uses ink for altering the color intensity.
4. By adding the RGB colors, the white color is generated while the addition of CMY
colors produces a black color.
5. There is a straightforward relationship between the additive and the subtractive
color. To represent this in an additive system we can consider the creation of the
colors by mixing them such as the yellow color is produced by combining red and
green light. As against, in the subtractive system, the yellow color is generated
due to the subtraction of blue color from the white light.

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