The Science Of Electronic Colour – Mocomi.com

The Science Of
Electronic Colour
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General Knowledge for Kids
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We all own colour TV's, camera's and mobile phones which all
have some great colour displays. Those same colour photos that
we click on our cameras are then re-produced in colour with the
help of a printer. While we all enjoy looking at life in colour, do
we really know how this colour is produced? As you continue to
read this article, by the end of it, you would know exactly how
colour is reproduced on all our gadgets as well as paper after
printing.
The Science Of Electronic Colour

The RGB colour model is an additive colour model in which red,
green, and blue light is added together in a variety of ways to re-
produce a broad array of colours. The name of the RGB colour
model comes from the initials of the three additive primary
colors, red, green, and blue.
The main purpose of the RGB colour model is for the sensing,
representation, and display of images in electronic systems, such
as televisions and computers, though it has also been used in con-
ventional photography.
RGB colour model
Red Yellow Green
Magenta
White
Cyan
Blue

The CMYK colour model is a subtractive colour model, used in
colour printing, and is also used to describe the printing process
itself.
CMYK refers to the four inks used in colour printing: cyan, ma-
genta, yellow, and key (black).
The CMYK model works by partially or entirely masking colours
on a lighter, usually white, background. The ink reduces the light
that would otherwise be reflected. Such a model is called subtrac-
tive because the inks remove the brightness from white.
CMYK colour model
Red
Yellow
Green
Magenta
Black
Cyan
Blue

The CMYK colour model is a subtractive colour model, used in
colour printing, and is also used to describe the printing process
itself.
CMYK refers to the four inks used in colour printing: cyan, ma-
genta, yellow, and key (black).
The CMYK model works by partially or entirely masking colours
on a lighter, usually white, background. The ink reduces the light
that would otherwise be reflected. Such a model is called subtrac-
tive because the inks remove the brightness from white.
CMYK vs RGB

CMYK and RGB devices
While the CMYK colour model is restricted to printing devices,
typical RGB input devices include colour TV's and video cameras,
image scanners, and digital cameras. Typical RGB output devices
are TV sets of various technologies (CRT, LCD, plasma, etc.),
computer and mobile phone displays, video projectors, multicolor
LED displays.
CMYK RGB

RGB, CMYK and how its displayed
One of the most common applications of the RGB colour model
is the display of colours on a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crys-
tal display (LCD), plasma display, or LED display such as a televi-
sion, a computer's monitor, or a large scale screen. Each pixel on
the screen is built by driving three separated RGB light sources.
At common viewing distance, the separate sources are indistin-
guishable, which tricks the eye to see a given solid colour.
CMYK or process colour printing is contrasted with spot colour
printing, in which specific coloured inks are used to produce the
colours appearing on paper. Some printing presses are capable of
printing with both four-colour process inks and additional spot
colour inks at the same time. High-quality printed materials, such
as marketing brochures and books, may include photographs re-
quiring process-colour printing, other graphic effects requiring
spot colours (such as metallic inks), and finishes such as varnish,
which enhances the glossy appearance of the printed piece.

Camera/Mobile/Printer/TV/LCD - source: www.openclipart.org. This image is public domain. You may use this
picture for any purpose, including commercial.
Image references:
Now that you understand the RGB and CMYK colour models
better, here's a little additional research you can do on the given
topic.
1. Remember finger painting? By mixing three primary colours,
any color could be generated. Swirling all colors together resulted
in a muddy brown. Revisit your art class and see what colour is
produced when primary colours are mixed together.
2. Find out all that you can about spot colour printing and offset
printing.
3. Apart from the RGB and CMYK colour model. Can you think
of another colour model?
Project
For more such interactive article and video, visit:
mocomi.com/learn/

The Science Of Electronic Colour – Mocomi.com

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The Science Of Electronic Colour – Mocomi.com