Primary colours
- Red
- Yellow
- Blue
Subtractive colours (occurs when mixing pigments like paint) based on what is reflected and what is absorbed.
Red reflects only red light & absorbs everything else.
Cannot be mixed/formed by any other colour combinations.
Different primary colour combinations applicable in different ares.
Standard computer monitor uses red, green & blue light – additive combination. Mixing these colours produces light of different colours.
Printing uses different combination – cyan, magenta & yellow. Subtractive set – based on what is reflected from paper.
Hard to produce black from the three colours so printers often have separate black.
Secondary colours
- Green
- Orange
- Purple
Formed by mixing primary colours.
Tertiary colours
- Yellow-orange
- Red-orange
- Red-purple
- Blue-purple
- Blue-green
- Yellow-green
Formed by mixing one primary and one secondary colour.