Printing also uses subtractive colors cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and key or black (K) are the primary inks used. Painters can combine several colors to make what looks like black paint. Subtractive colors are made of light that’s already passed through material. The color of pigments and inks are subtractive. Subtractive colors combine to create black. So what is black on a screen? No lit phosphors. When working with color digitally, like in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, your screen uses different combinations of these lights to create all the colors you see. Each pixel is composed of three tiny specks of phosphor, which emit red, green, or blue light when struck by an electron beam. You’ll also hear this model referred to as RGB, because when you work with additive color, you use red, green, and blue as primary colors.Īdditive color is used in digital design, because computer screens show hues with colored light. In this model of color theory, the combination of all colors creates the perception of white. Light and electromagnetic radiation both create additive color.
The way to create black or white depends on whether you’re working with an additive color model (light-based) or a subtractive color model (ink-based). What colors make black? What colors make white?
