Color mixing

By: Beyene Dumecha

 Introduction

• There are two types of color mixing: 

 Additive color mixing and 
 Subtractive color mixing .
• In both cases, mixing is typically described in terms of three primary
color and three secondary color
 Additive Color Mixing

• Additive color mixing occurs when two or more lights of different

wavelengths are added by focusing them on a white screen.

• When we add all of the different wavelengths of sunlight, we see white

light rather than many individual colors.

• It is called additive because all of the wavelengths still reach our eyes.
 Cont’d

• Red, Blue and Green are used as primaries to produce various colors by
additive mixing.

• The primary colors are independent- that the mixture of the two colors
will not produce the third primary color.
Red + Green = yellow
Green + Blue = cyan( blue-green)
Blue + Red = purple (magenta)
Red + Green + Blue = White
• These are the color obtained by emitted light
• Associated with television and computer displays
 Methods of color mixing

(1) two or more lights are projected on the screen successively and rapidly
(2) Maxwell method- achieved by rotating color papers which cut precisely
into pieces of various sizes and mounted as segments on circular disk-
then additive color effect can be seen in proportion to the sizes of each
segment.
 Subtractive color mixing
• is creating a new color by the removal of wavelengths from a light with
a broad spectrum of wavelengths.

• Subtractive color mixing occurs when we mix paints, dyes, or pigments.

• When we mix paints, both paints still absorb all of the wavelengths they
did previously, so what we are left with is only the wavelengths that
both paints reflect.
 Cont’d
Subtractive mixing of colors occurs when one or more spectral components are
removed from the incident light.

The removal of part of incident energy can occur by the process of absorption and
scattering .

When the subtraction is made by absorption only ,it is called simple subtractive
mixing.

When the light is removed by scattering and absorption , it is called complex

subtractive mixing.
 ...continued...

• The color of transparent materials like solutions and glass occur due to simple
subtraction of light energy by absorption.

• Yellow, Magenta and Cyan are the most commonly used primaries in subtractive color
mixing.

• The subtractive primaries are obtained by removing Blue, Green and Red lights from
white light.

• This can be achieved by using broad band filters known as substractive primary filters
White - Blue = Yellow
White _ Green = Magenta
White - Red = Cyan 9
 Cont’d

• It is called subtractive mixing because when the paints mix, wavelengths are
deleted from what we see because each paint will absorb some wavelengths that
the other paint reflects, thus leaving us with a lesser number of wavelengths
remaining afterward.
 A colored filter subtracts colors
by absorption.

Incident white light Cyan Yellow Only green

filter subtracts filter subtracts gets
red blue through

11
A colored filter subtracts certain colors
by absorption and transmits the rest

Incident white light Magenta Cyan Only blue

filter subtracts filter subtracts gets
green red through

12
 A colored filter subtracts colors
by absorption.

Incident white light Magenta Yellow Only red

filter subtracts filter subtracts gets
green blue through

13
• When two subtractive filters are combined ,the primaries for additive color
mixing results.

• The addition of subtractive primaries will produce the additive color mixing
primaries of Red, Green and Blue. • Yellow + Cyan = Green
• Cyan + magenta = Blue
• Magenta + yellow = Red
• Yellow + Magenta + Cyan = Black
 VISIBLE SPECTROSCOPY
Wavelength Range Absorbed Colour Absorbed Colour Seen By Eye
• When a sample only 380 - 430 Violet Yellow - Green

absorbs light of a single 430 - 480 Blue Yellow

480 - 490 Green - Blue Orange
wavelength the eye sees
490 - 500 Blue - Green Red
COMPLEMENTARY
500 - 560 Green Purple
colours.
560 - 580 Yellow - Green Violet
580 - 590 Yellow Blue
590 - 610 Orange Green - Blue
610 - 750 Red Blue - Green
Metamerism
 Introduction

• Source of light is characterized by the relative power distribution at

different wavelengths.

• Light sources may be :

• Incandescent lamp;
• Arc lamp;
• Fluorescent lamp.
 Daylight D65 TL 84 Fluorescent

Cool White Fluorescent Illuminant A (Incandescent)

 Metamerism
• is the phenomenon where colours of two objects are perceived to be the same
under one illuminant, such as daylight (CIE D65), but are not the same under a
different illuminant such as incandescent (CIE A).

• The goal of most manufacturers and suppliers is to minimize metamerism.

• To accurately evaluate the presence of metamerism in sample pairs, the samples
must be evaluated in multiple illuminants.

• This can be done both visually and instrumentally

 Types
• For instrumental assessments there are methods for calculating the degree of metamerism using
the Metamerism Index (MI).

• There are four types of metamerism:

a) Source metameric: two objects do not match when source is changed (D65, A,C, CWF).

b) Object metameric: when dye combination is different in sample compared to standard.

c) Observer metameric: when one observer says ‘match’ and another says ‘no match’.

d) Instrument metameric: when you get different colour co-ordinates from two different
instruments.
 Cont’d
 Metameric objects exhibit the
following:

o They have different spectral reflectance

values (spectral curves).

o They match under at least one

combination of illuminant and observer.

o They do not match under at least one

combination of illuminant and observer.

Metameric match: it is not a reflectance match.

 Metameric and non-metameric matches
• Colour is matched in daylight but it is not matched in artificial light.

As reflectance
curves are not
matched colours
are metameric

Matched in D65 but not matched in illuminant A. There is no spectral match.

 Reducing the effects of metamerism
1) Utilizing exactly the same dyes in the formulation of the production object that have been
used to produce the standard (target).

2) Selecting a production formulation that minimizes metamerism, whenever it is not

possible to use the same dyes as were used to make the standard.

3) Substituting ‘working standards’ (made from the production formulation) for the original
metameric standard, whenever possible in the control and acceptance processes.

4) Correcting production colours without adding any ‘new’ (different) dyes to the product.
 Reasons why colours do not match
• Colour is subjective: colour is a sensation, just like touch, and the colours you see are
purely subjective, as interpreted by your visual system and your brain.

• Lighting affects colour: the colour of an item will vary depending on the light, so it
will look different under incandescent light, fluorescent light, and daylight.

• Colours affect colours: your perception of colour will change, depending on the
colours around it, an effect called simultaneous contrast.

• Identical colours can be metameric: two colours are the same under one light but look
totally different under another light.
 Cont’d
• Different observers perceive colour differently: colour is within us and colour
impressions are different for two different observers.

• The human eye is different: from spectrophotometer, camera, video display unit or
scanner.

• Different devices have different colour gamut: colour monitors (video display unit
of the PC) show colours that printers cannot print.

• Different devices use different colour models: RGB vs CMYK

THANK YOU