Additive Color Mixing

The colors we see on screens are created using the additive color method, which relies on light. Additive color mixing involves combining the three primary colors — red, green and blue. When two primary colors are combined in equal proportions, they produce a secondary color: cyan, magenta or yellow. By adjusting the relative intensities of red, green and blue light, a wide range of colors can be achieved. The additive color system works by emitting light directly from a source, as opposed to reflecting light from an object. When all three primary colors are combined, the result is white light. The RGB system and additive color mixing are widely used in devices like television and computer monitors. Pixels on a screen initially appear black, and when the red, green, and blue components of a pixel are illuminated simultaneously, the pixel appears white. Additive color mixing is conceptually simpler than subtractive color mixing, where colors are produced by filtering out certain wavelengths of light from white light that passes through colored filters.