Red, green, and blue are the additive primary colors – meaning they are the primary colors of light.
These colors are fundamental because they can be combined in varying intensities to produce a wide range of other colors, including white light when all three are mixed at full intensity. This principle is the foundation for how screens on devices like computers, TVs, and smartphones generate color.
Additive Color Mixing Explained
- Red + Green = Yellow
- Red + Blue = Magenta
- Green + Blue = Cyan
- Red + Green + Blue = White
It's important to distinguish additive color mixing (RGB) from subtractive color mixing (CMYK - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key/Black), which is used in printing. Subtractive color mixing works by absorbing certain wavelengths of light while reflecting others. RGB, on the other hand, works by emitting light directly.
