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Color systems depend on what kind of medium you are using
as an artist or designer.
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If you are a painter, the range of colors available to
you are mixed together using the subtractive color method.
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If you are designing on the computer you are creating
color by using the additive method.
Digital art is created using the RGB system. Because these
designs must go to a printer, they also have to be part of
the CMYK system.
CMYK Color System |
CMYK and Subtractive Color
When we mix colors using paint, or through the printing process,
we are using the subtractive color method. Subtractive color
mixing means that one begins with white and ends with black;
as one adds color, the result gets darker and tends to black.
CMYK
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Is used by printers and is an example of the subtractive
method.
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All its colors are derived from cyan, magenta, yellow
and black.
RGB Color System |
RGB and Additive Color
If we are working on a computer, the colors we see on the
screen are created with light using the additive color method.
Additive color mixing begins with black and ends with white,
meaning that as more color is added, the result is lighter
and tends to white.
RGB
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Is used by digital designers
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Pecentages of red, blue and green are used to create
color on the monitor screen.
Color System Capacities
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The spectrum of existing colors is in the range of the
billions.
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A monitor can display millions of colors
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Quality printers can produce thousands of colors
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Web Browsers are limited to 216 cross-platform colors
The illustration on the left demonstrates the relative scope
of various methods for reproducing color. The number of colors
reproducible by the printing process is relatively small compared
to the range of visible light
Web Safe Color System |
Color on the Web
The number of colors visible on the web is highly restricted
due to differences in monitor quality and resolution. Take
into account the differences between Mac and Windows and the
differences in web browsers, the number of colors available
to web designers is limited to 216 browser safe colors. |
